LIBRARY 


V  i 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


Edition  limited  to  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
copies,  and  the  type  distributed. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE 
OLD  NAVY 


FROM  THE  JOURNALS  AND  PRIVATE  PAPERS  OF 
CAPTAIN  EDWARD  TRENCHARD,   AND   REAR- 
ADMIRAL  STEPHEN  DECATUR  TRENCHARD 


BY 

EDGAR   STANTON    MACLAY 

AUTHOR    OF    "A    HISTORY    OF    THE    UNITED 
STATES   NAVY,"    ETC. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 
fftnicfcerbocfcer  press 

1898 


COPYRIGHT,  1898 

BY 
G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


Ube  fmfcfeerbocfeer  press,  View 


To 
CAPTAIN   ALFRED   THAYER    MAHAN,  U.S.N.   (RETIRED) 

OUR   FOREMOST   WRITER    ON    NAVAL   AFFAIRS 
THIS   WORK    IS   RESPECTFULLY 

DEDICATED 
BY    THE   AUTHOR 


CONTENTS. 


I. — EARLY  LIFE  OF  EDWARD  TRENCHARD 
II. — ON  THE  WEST  COAST  OF  AFRICA  . 
III.— CONFESSIONS  OF  A  MIDSHIPMAN 
IV. — JOLLY  MIDSHIPMITES 
V. — OFF  FOR  THE  CHINA  SEA 
VI. — ON  THE  SCENE  OF  TROUBLE  . 
VII. — BATTLE  OF  THE  PEIHO  FORTS 
VIII.— A  LAND  CRUISE       . 
IX. — EARLY  SERVICE  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR 
X. — FIRST  TRIP  SOUTH  . 
XL — VERY  ACTIVE  CRUISING  . 
XII. — ON  THE  ENEMY'S  COAST 
XIII. — AN  EXPERIENCE  WITH  THE  "MERRIMAC,' 
XIV. — LAST  CRUISES  AS  A  SUPPLY  STEAMER 
XV. — SINKING  OF  THE  "MONITOR" 
XVI.— ON  SPECIAL  DUTY  . 
XVII. — LEISURELY  CRUISING 


PAGE 
I 

7 

25 
34 
47 
60 

73 
94 

102 

116 

148 
172 

195 

208 
223 

237 


vi  Contents. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVIIL— A  ROMANTIC  CRUISE       .  245 

XIX. — IMPORTANT  CAPTURES     .         .  .     262 

XX.— CAPTURE  OF  THE  "  CRONSTADT  "  .         .     275 

XXI.— CONVOY  SERVICE      ...  .282 

XXII. — AT  FORT  FISHER     .  -     299 

XXIII. — LAST  CRUISES  OF  THE  "  RHODE  ISLAND  "  .     319 

XXIV.— CLOSING  SCENES        .  34* 

INDEX              ...-••  -35 l 


INTRODUCTION. 

IT  is  seldom  that  the  "  inside  history  "  of 
our  navy  has  been  so  interestingly  re 
vealed  as  it  is  in  the  journal  and  private  papers 
of  the  late  Rear-Admiral  Stephen  Decatur 
Trenchard,  and  of  his  father,  Captain  Edward 
Trenchard.  The  history  of  the  navy,  as  taken 
from  the  official  reports  of  our  commanders 
and  other  public  documents,  has  been  given  to 
the  country  in  various  forms,  but  they,  as  a 
rule,  touch  only  on  well-known  actions  or  er 
rands  of  public  service  with  which  the  general 
reader  already  is  familiar.  There  are  many 
acts  of  heroism,  many  thrilling  episodes,  and 
many  romances  wrapped  up  in  the  private 
lives  of  our  officers  which  have  not  been  made 
public,  and  are  known  only  to  a  few  of  their  most 
intimate  messmates.  The  records  left  by  the 
two  Trenchards,  covering  eighty  years  of  ser 
vice  in  the  United  States  Navy,  are  singularly 
rich  in  romance  and  in  details  of  historic  inter- 


viii  Introduction. 

est.  It  is,  in  truth,  an  "  inside  history"  of  the 
navy  for  the  period  covered.  Both  the  Trench- 
ards  were  careful  writers,  and  had  a  keen  eye 
to  matters  of  human  interest.  The  journal  and 
various  notes  of  a  cruise  for  the  suppression  of 
the  slave  trade  on  the  coast  of  Africa  left  by 
the  elder  Trenchard  are  replete  with  stirring 
events,  while  the  extensive  journals  of  the 
younger  Trenchard,  kept  while  on  his  cruise 
in  the  China  Sea,  and  during  his  remarkable 
career  as  commander  of  the  United  States 
cruiser  Rhode  Island  in  the  four  years  of  the 
Civil  War,  together  with  their  letters  and  cor 
respondence,  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  a  side 
of  our  navy's  career  which  has  been  kept  too 
much  in  the  dark. 

Although  the  general  work  of  the  navy  dur 
ing  the  Civil  War  is  familiar  to  readers  of 
history  and  current  literature,  yet  there  were  im 
portant  services  performed  by  our  seamen  and 
several  gallant  fights  and  heroic  episodes  oc 
curred  which  have  not  been  made  public.  The 
private  journal  of  Stephen  Decatur  Trenchard, 
kept  while  in  command  of  the  Rhode  Island 
during  the  Civil  War,  contains  accounts  of 
several  actions  and  many  interesting  incidents 
of  that  struggle  that  are  not  generally  known. 


Introduction.  ix 

This  journal  is  singularly  fortunate  in  being 
one  of  the  extremely  few  continuous  private 
narratives  of  the  internecine  strife.  Nearly  all 
of  our  officers  during  the  war  were  frequently 
transferred  from  one  ship  to  another,  so  that 
their  impressions  of  the  struggle  are  discon 
nected  and  fragmentary.  The  view  of  the  naval 
operations  of  the  war  obtained  from  the  private 
papers  and  journal  of  Rear-Admiral  Trenchard 
may  properly  be  described  as  a  "  bird's-eye 
view."  During  the  time  he  was  in  command 
of  \h&Rhode  Island,  June  10,  1861,  to  October, 
1865,  he  was  constantly  hovering  on  the  coast 
of  the  seceding  States  or  making  a  dash  in  the 
West  Indies  after  some  blockade-runner. 

From  the  very  nature  of  this  service  Trench 
ard  was  able  to  obtain  impressions  of  the 
struggle  along  the  seaboard  which  are  of  pe 
culiar  interest.  Probably  no  other  officer  of 
the  navy  was  so  widely  known  and  became 
so  familiar  in  the  service  as  the  commander  of 
the  Little  Rhody.  Among  some  of  the  nota 
ble  incidents  of  his  cruises  were  the  spirited 
chase  and  capture  of  a  Confederate  vessel  by 
the  Jamestown,  the  capture  of  the  British  ship 
Richard  O'Brien,  the  landing  of  a  detachment 
of  seamen  and  marines  near  Galveston,  when 


x  Introduction, 

the  Stars  and  Stripes  for  the  first  time  were 
replanted  on  Texan  soil  by  a  regular  United 
States  force  after  the  secession  of  that  State  ; 
the  adventure  of  a  boat's  crew  from  the  Rhode 
Island  after  the  sinking  of  the  Monitor ;  the 
capture  of  the  Confederate  vessels  Venus,  and 
Vixen,  and  Cronstadt ;  the  several  chases  after 
the  supposed  Alabama,  and  the  active  partic 
ipation  in  both  attacks  on  Fort  Fisher.  Besides 
these  occurrences  of  more  general  interest, 
there  are  a  number  of  instances  of  heroism  dis 
played  by  American  seamen,  which  places  them 
on  the  plane  of  the  historic  Reuben  James  and 
other  tars  who  have  become  famous  in  the 
American  Navy.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this 
work  to  put  this  invaluable  material  in  narra 
tive  form,  and  to  give  those  interested  in  the 
navy  an  opportunity  to  see  it  as  it  was  seen  by 
an  officer  actively  engaged  in  the  service. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book,  I  am  in 
debted  to  Edward  Trenchard,  Esq.,  of  New 
York  City,  who  has  placed  at  my  disposal  all 
the  papers  and  correspondence  of  his  father 
and  grandfather. 

E.  S.  M. 

OLD  FIELD  POINT, 

SETAUKET,  LONG  ISLAND,  N.  Y., 

January  31,  1898. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  OLD  NAVY 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE 
OLD  NAVY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EARLY    LIFE    OF    EDWARD    TRENCHARD. 

BOTH  Edward  Trenchard  and  his  son, 
Stephen  Decatur,  began  life  with  the 
intention  of  entering  callings  that  were  any 
thing  but  warlike.  The  parents  of  the  former 
fondly  hoped  that  he  would  achieve  fame  as 
an  artist,  while  the  latter  was  to  become  a 
bishop.  Each  undoubtedly  would  have  made 
his  mark  had  not  the  pugnacious  spirit  of  Dor 
setshire  asserted  itself  too  early  in  their  careers. 
The  aesthetic  taste  of  Edward,  and  the  religious 
fervor  of  Stephen  Decatur,  however,  were  con 
spicuous  all  through  their  stormy  careers,  and 
form  a  striking  feature  in  their  writings.  Ed- 


2  The  Old  Navy. 

ward  Trenchard  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in 
Salem,  New  Jersey,  1785,  and  so  became  a 
contemporary  of  such  famous  naval  heroes  as 
Perry,  Macdonough,  Decatur,  Bainbridge,Hull, 
Lawrence,  and  Stewart.  He  inherited  a  taste 
for  the  fine  arts  and  at  an  early  age  began  to 
study  under  his  uncle,  James  Trenchard,  Edi 
tor  of  the  Columbian  Magazine,  who  had  won 
some  distinction  as  a  designer  and  an  engraver 
of  book-plates. 

Going  abroad  when  sixteen  years  old  Edward 
met  Gilbert  Fox,  the  engraver,  and  returned 
with  him  to  the  United  States.  The  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  seems  to  have  completely 
upset  Edward's  idea  of  becoming  a  great  artist, 
as  undoubtedly  it  has  done  with  men  of  even 
more  pronounced  aesthetic  tastes  than  his.  A 
visit  to  the  home  of  his  ancestors  in  Dorset 
shire,  England,  did  much  to  arouse  his  warlike 
enthusiasm,  for  the  Trenchards  had  long  been 
noted  as  sturdy  fighters.  'His  grandfather, 
George,  had  been  the  attorney-general  of  New 
Jersey,  under  the  crown,  but  on  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolution  he  drew  his  sword  on  the 
side  of  the  colonies.  In  after  years,  when  Ed 
ward  Trenchard  had  attained  the  dignity  of  a 
master-commandant,  and  commanded  the  cor- 


Early  Life  of  Edward  Trenchard.         3 

vette  Adams,  an  English  cousin  of  his,  Colonel 
Gustavus  Hippesly,  wrote  December  5,  1815, 
seeking  a  position  in  Uncle  Sam's  navy  for  his 
son  ;  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  English 
men  even  at  that  early  age  were  anxious  to  have 
their  sons  enter  a  service  which  had  become 
famous.  Trenchard  replied  :  "  Happy  should 
I  be  if  it  were  in  my  power  to  promote  the 
wishes  of  yourself  and  your  son  by  introducing 
the  latter  into  the  navy  of  the  United  States, 
but  a  recent  act  of  Congress  closes  the  army 
and  navy  against  all  foreigners  who  have  not 
been  naturalized,  and  as  our  naturalization  laws 
require  a  residence  of  five  years  before  the 
rights  of  citizenship  can  be  acquired,  I  am  ap 
prehensive  that  this  would  prove  an  insur 
mountable  objection  with  the  head  of  the 
Department.  On  this  subject,  however,  I  have 
communicated  freely  with  the  Secretary  of 
State,  Mr.  Adams,  and  from  the  friendly  in 
terest  which  he  takes  in  the  affair,  the  diffi 
culty  may  finally  be  perhaps  surmounted. 
Should  this  be  the  case,  I  shall  most  assuredly 
give  you  the  earliest  information,  and  in  that 
event  it  will  give  me  great  pleasure  in  receiv 
ing  him  aboard  my  ship.  It  is  not  possible 
that  he  could  receive  any  higher  rank  than 


4  The  Old  Navy. 

that  of  midshipman,  and  on  his  own  conduct 
and  acquirements  will  his  subsequent  promo 
tion  depend.  The  pay  and  sustenance  of  that 
class  of  officers  in  the  navy  of  the  United 
States  is  equal  to  $26.50  per  month,  and 
with  the  allowance  which  you  propose  to 
continue  to  him  would  afford  him  a  genteel 
support." 

On  his  return  from  England  with  Gilbert 
Fox,  Edward  Trenchard  seems  to  have  aban 
doned  all  thoughts  of  becoming  an  artist,  and 
on  April  30,  1800,  a  midshipman's  warrant  was 
secured  for  him.  He  was  ordered  to  the  Adams 
for  a  cruise  against  the  French  in  the  West 
Indies.  This  vessel  was  then  commanded  by 
Captain  Stephen  Decatur,  Sr.,  and  it  was  this 
fact  together  with  the  friendship  that  sprang 
up  between  young  Trenchard  and  Stephen 
Decatur,  Jr.,  that  led  to  the  naming  of  Tren- 
chard's  son,  afterward  Rear-Admiral,  Stephen 
Decatur  Trenchard.  After  the  French  war 
the  Adams  was  ordered  to  the  Mediterranean, 
and  participated  in  the  engagements  before 
Tripoli,  May,  1803.  In  the  following  year 
Trenchard  was  transferred  to  the  Constellation 
and  was  present  at  the  bombardments  of  Tri 
poli,  and  also  was  in  that  ship  when  she  was 


Early  Life  of  Edward  Trenchard.        5 

fired  upon  by  the  Spanish  batteries  near  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar,  September  21,  1805. 

That  the  aesthetic  nature  of  Edward 
Trenchard  had  not  been  blunted  by  the  "stern 
realities  of  war,"  is  seen  in  a  letter  dated  off 
Tripoli,  April  5,  1805,  to  Midshipman  Turner. 
Like  the  friendship  that  sprang  up  between 
Decatur  and  Somers,  a  strong  attachment 
grew  up  between  Trenchard  and  Midshipman 
Turner.  Trenchard  wrote,  "  One  winter  has 
elapsed  since  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you, 
but  not  one  particle  of  friendship  has  been 
nipped  by  its  killing  frost,  but  still  remains  like 
the  hardy  sailor  who  gains  strength  by  braving 
the  strongest  gales  that  he  may  not  lose  his 
reckoning  in  the  dark  fogs  of  forgetfulness." 

After  the  Tripolitan  war,  Trenchard  served 
in  the  famous  Constitution  of  the  home  squad 
ron  from  1806  to  1810,  and  in  1811  he  was 
assigned  to  duty  in  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard. 
On  August  30,  1812,  he  began  his  active  serv 
ice  in  the  war  of  1812,  being  on  that  date 
ordered  to  Sackett's  Harbor  on  Lake  Ontario, 
where  he  was  to  superintend  the  building  of 
the  sloop  of  war  Madison,  constructed  by 
Henry  Eckford.  He  probably  left  New  York, 
November  28th,  in  charge  of  one  of  the  build- 


6  The  Old  Navy. 

ing  parties  which  made  the  hazardous  land 
cruise  from  New  York  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  in 
the  most  unfavorable  season  of  the  year. 
Work  on  the  Madison  was  pushed  with  extraor 
dinary  energy.  Cooper  wrote,  "  Eight  weeks 
before  [she  was  launched]  her  timber  was  grow 
ing  in  the  forest.  This  unusual  expedition  is  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  excellent  disposition  of  the 
commanding  officer,  and  to  the  clear  head  and 
extraordinary  resources  of  Mr.  Henry  Eckford." 
Having  attained  the  rank  of  Master-Com 
mandant,  Trenchard  assumed  command  of  the 
Madison  and  took  part  in  the  naval  operations 
on  Lake  Ontario.  But  the  most  formidable 
enemy  our  seamen  had  to  contend  with  was 
the  lake  fever,  the  Madison  at  one  time  having 
eighty  of  her  two  hundred  men  on  the  sick 
list.  Trenchard  himself  was  a  victim  of  the 
disease,  and  on  July  21,  1813,  left  the  station 
to  recover  his  health.  On  May  i5th  of  the 
following  year  he  rejoined  his  ship  and  served 
in  her  to  the  close  of  the  war,  taking  part  in  the 
engagement  off  Kingston,  September  n,  1814. 
On  the  close  of  the  war  he  commanded  the 
John  Adams,  and  took  part  in  the  operations 
off  Algiers,  Tripoli,  and  Tunis,  which  resulted 
creditably  for  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ON    THE    WEST    COAST    OF    AFRICA. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  exaggerate  the  value 
of  the  services  performed  by  our  war 
ships  in  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  on 
the  western  coast  of  Africa  early  in  the  cen 
tury,  and  it  would  be  equally  difficult  to  over 
estimate  the  hardships  and  privations  to  which 
our  officers  and  crews  were  subjected  in  this 
hazardous  service.  Many  of  the  slavers  were 
heavily  armed  and  manned  by  unusually  large 
crews,  and,  as  it  was  shown  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  they  were  prepared  to  fight.  In 
fact,  some  of  these  craft  turned  from  piracy  to 
the  slave  trade,  and  vice  versa,  as  circum 
stances  directed,  and  were  quite  as  dangerous 
to  the  unarmed  merchantman  as  to  the  negroes. 
An  example  of  the  audacity  of  these  traders 
is  well  demonstrated  in  the  following  anec- 

7 


The  Old  Navy. 

dote  :  A  trading  vessel  on  this  coast  showing 
American  colors  had  aroused  the  suspicions 
of  the  commander  of  the  British  gunboat 
Contest.  The  English  refrained  from  making 
a  search  of  the  trader,  contenting  them 
selves  with  keeping  close  by  her.  Day  after 
day  the  vessels  sailed  in  company  until  the 
Yankee  skipper  finding  that  he  could  not 
ship  his  cargo  of  slaves — for  in  truth  he  was 
a  slave-trader — challenged  the  British  com 
mander  to  a  friendly  sailing  match  to  last 
twenty-four  hours.  The  challenge  was  ac 
cepted,  but  under  cover  of  night,  when  the 
cruiser  had  been  allowed  to  get  far  enough 
ahead  to  be  out  of  sight,  the  trader  ran  in 
shore,  took  on  a  cargo  of  slaves  and  before 
daylight  was  fairly  started  on  her  homeward 
voyage.  In  the  effort  to  suppress  the  slave 
trade,  the  United  States  early  in  the  century 
established  a  squadron  on  the  west  coast  of 
Africa,  and  soon  after  the  war  of  1812  and  the 
difficulty  in  the  Mediterranean  had  been  set 
tled,  turned  its  attention  to  this  quarter. 

One  of  the  first  of  our  cruisers  to  be  sent 
over  was  the  2O-gun  sloop-of-war  Cyane,  the 
vessel  that  had  been  captured  under  such 
glorious  circumstances  from  the  British  in  1815 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.         9 

off  this  same  coast  of  Africa,  by  Capt.  Charles 
Stewart.  There  was  just  a  touch  of  pride  notice 
able  on  the  part  of  the  government  in  selecting 
this  cruiser  for  such  service.  When  the  war 
of  1812  broke  out  the  English  were  loud  in 
their  boasting  that  in  six  months  "  the  con 
temptible  flag  of  the  United  States  would  be 
swept  from  the  ocean,"  that  our  "  arsenals 
would  be  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins,"  and  that 
"  British  war-ships  would  have  no  difficulty  in 
capturing  the  largest  of  the  American  cruisers." 
At  the  same  time  British  agents  assured  the 
several  potentates  of  Barbary  that  hereafter 
Great  Britain  would  not  permit  the  too  for 
ward  Americans  to  build  any  war-ship  heavier 
than  a  frigate. 

The  appearance  in  the  Mediterranean  of  our 
magnificent  ships-of-line  at  Gibraltar  shortly 
after  the  war  closed  caused  deep  humiliation 
to  our  cousins,  and  made  them  the  butt  of 
ridicule  long  after  the  war,  while  their  cup  of 
mortification  was  filled  to  overflowing  by  the 
appearance  of  their  own  war-ships,  captured 
from  them  in  battle,  serenely  sailing  around 
England's  greatest  fortress  with  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  at  the  gaff.  The  presence  of  these 
vessels  led  to  many  bitter  quarrels  between 


io  The  Old  Navy. 

the  American  and  English  officers  which  fre 
quently  resulted  in  duels.  It  was  the  exquisite 
pleasure  of  ''rubbing  it  into  the  English  "  that 
undoubtedly  led  the  government  to  send  the 
Cyane  to  cruise  on  the  scene  of  her  capture 
from  the  English,  especially  as  she  would 
frequently  be  sailing  in  company  with  British 
war-ships  also  engaged  in  suppressing  the  slave 
trade. 

Edward  Trenchard  was  placed  in  command 
of  this  sloop-of-war  and  early  in  1820  he  ap 
peared  off  the  fever-laden  coast  of  Africa,  and 
began  the  monotonous  and  irksome  search  for 
slavers.  Trenchard  had  the  good  fortune  to 
have  an  unsually  able  set  of  officers  to  assist 
him,  nearly  all  of  whom  attained  distinction 
later  in  life.  Among  them  were  Matthew 
Calbraith  Perry,  the  hero  of  the  naval  opera 
tions  in  the  Mexican  Gulf  ;  Silas  H.  Stringham, 
who  had  the  proud  distinction  of  capturing  the 
forts  at  Hatteras  Inlet  early  in  the  civil  war  ; 
William  Mervine,  who  served  with  great  credit 
on  the  coast  of  California  in  the  Mexican  war, 
and  who  commanded  the  Gulf  Squadron  early 
in  the  civil  war  ;  John  D.  Montgomery,  and 
William  Hudson. 

The  Cyane  had  not  long  been  on  the  station 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.        1 1 

when  she  made  one  of  the  most  important 
captures  on  that  coast.  It  occurred  while  the 
ship  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  River  Gallinos, 
April  10,  1820.  Captain  Trenchard  had  reason 
to  believe  that  he  would  find  some  slave- 
traders  at  this  point,  and  with  a  view  of  taking 
them  by  surprise  he  approached  the  river 
under  cover  of  night  and  lay  to  until  morning. 
His  surmises  proved  to  be  correct  for  when 
day  broke  he  discovered  two  brigs  and  five 
schooners  at  anchor  close  in  shore,  and  almost 
within  reach  of  his  guns.  The  people  in  these 
vessels,  excepting  those  in  one  of  the  brigs 
and  in  one  of  the  schooners,  made  out  the 
Cyane  almost  as  soon  as  they  were  seen  by  the 
Americans,  and  instantly  made  sail  to  escape, 
for  the  massive  spars  and  heavy  rigging  of  the 
cruiser,  told  them  plainly  enough  that  they 
were  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy.  The  Cyane 
was  quickly  in  pursuit,  and  for  a  few  minutes 
there  was  the  liveliest  kind  of  bustle  and  con 
fusion  in  the  efforts  to  spread  all  the  canvas 
that  would  draw. 

It  was  no  child's  play  that  the  Americans 
were  engaged  in  when  they  undertook  to  come 
up  with  these  strangers,  for,  as  has  just  been 
said,  many  of  the  slavers  were  heavily  armed, 


12  The  Old  Navy. 

and  should  the  seven  of  them  unite  in  an 
attack  upon  the  little  Cyane,  they  might  suc 
ceed  in  capturing  or  destroying  her.  But 
Trenchard  knew  only  one  duty,  and  that  was 
to  fight  when  he  had  an  enemy  in  reach,  and 
away  went  his  ship  in  full  chase.  There  was  a 
fresh  breeze  blowing  at  the  time  and  all  the 
vessels  were  bowling  along  at  a  smart  rate, 
heeling  over  under  clouds  of  canvas  on  the 
port  tack.  Trenchard  exhibited  great  skill 
and  forethought  in  approaching  the  strangers. 
He  took  advantage  of  the  formation  of  the 
land  so  that  the  fleeing  craft  could  sail  only  in 
one  direction,  thereby  preventing  them  from 
scattering,  and  enabling  the  Cyane  to  come  up 
with  all  of  them. 

After  the  chase  had  lasted  about  an  hour 
the  Cyane,  at  7  A.M.,  tacked,  having  the 
schooners  well  in  shore  of  her,  where  there 
was  little  chance  of  escaping.  By  this  time 
the  wind  had  fallen  and  Captain  Trenchard 
got  his  launch,  first  cutter,  and  starboard  quar 
ter-boat  out  with  the  intention  of  carrying  the 
vessels  by  boarding.  The  boats  were  fully 
manned  and  dashed  at  the  schooners  in  gal 
lant  style.  At  8  A.M.  the  first  cutter  took 
possession  of  the  nearest  vessel  without  op- 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.        13 

position.  She  proved  to  be  the  American 
schooner  Endymzon,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Alexander  McKim  Andrew.  The  commander 
of  this  vessel  had  been  observed  to  leave  his 
ship  and  pull  toward  the  shore,  evidently  with 
a  view  of  escaping.  Noticing  this,  Trenchard 
ordered  the  quarter-boat  to  make  for  the  fugi 
tive.  After  an  exciting  race  the  boat  was 
overhauled  and  her  people,  including  Mr. 
Andrew,  were  secured.  Midshipman  H.  C. 
Newton  was  sent  aboard  the  Endymion  with 
a  prize  crew  to  take  charge. 

Meantime  the  launch  and  the  first  cutter 
had  returned  to  the  Cyane  as  it  was  found  that 
the  breeze  was  sufficiently  strong  to  enable 
the  chase  to  hold  her  distance.  The  sloop  of 
war  then  resumed  the  pursuit.  At  8.30  A.M., 
the  Endymion  picked  up  the  quarter-boat  with 
Lieutenant  Montgomery  and  followed  the 
Cyane.  From  8  A.M.  to  noon  the  breeze  grad 
ually  died  out,  when  Trenchard  sent  the  first 
cutter  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Stringham, 
the  launch  Lieutenant  Voorhees,  and  the  second 
gig,  Lieutenant  Mervine,  in  chase,  while  the 
Cyane  followed  as  closely  as  the  failing  breeze 
would  allow.  This  time  the  boats  succeeded 
in  getting  alongside  the  chase,  and  took  posses- 


i4  The  Old  Navy. 

•sion  of  the  brig  Annita,  commanded  by  Pedro 
Pushe  ;  the  schooner  Esperanza,  Lewis  Mum- 
ford  ;  the  schooner  Dasher,  Thomas  Munro  ; 
the  schooner  Eliza,  Constant  Hastings  ;  and 
the  schooner  Louise,  Francis    Sablon.     Lieu 
tenants  Perry,  Stringham,  Mervine,  Montgom 
ery,  and  Sailing-master  Hudson,  were  promptly 
ordered  to  make  a  survey  of  these  vessels,  and 
to    determine    their   real  character.     Captain 
Trenchard  notes,  <(  Put  on  board  the  Endymion 
Midshipman  H.  C.   Newton  ;  the  Esperanza, 
Lieutenant  Stringham  ;    the  Louise,  Midship 
man    Hosack ;    the  Dasher,   Acting   Master's 
Mate,  Jacob  Morris;  the  Eliza,  Midshipman 
Sanderson."     As  soon    as    these    officers  and 
their  prize  crews  had  been  placed  aboard  their 
several    charges,    Captain    Trenchard    tacked 
and  stood  back  for  Gallinos,  to  attend  to  the 
two  strangers  who  had  not  joined  in  the  fight, 
but  had  remained  quietly  at  their  anchors  in 
dignified  composure,  as  if  not  troubled  with  a 
guilty   conscience.     These    two   vessels   were 
found  to  be  the  Science,  or  Dechosa,  and  the 
Plattsburg.     Captain  Trenchard  determined  to 
investigate  their  character. 

Meantime  the  vessels  first  captured,    were 
reported  upon  by  the  officers  detailed  to  search 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.        15 

them  as  follows  : — "  In  conformity  with  your 
order  we  have  carefully  examined  the  Ameri 
can  schooner  Endymion,  commanded  by  Alex 
ander  McKim  Andrew,  and  upon  a  close 
scrutiny  we  are  of  opinion  that  the  sole  object 
of  her  being  in  this  place  is  the  procuring  of 
slaves  ;  indeed  we  have  good  evidence  that 
she  has  her  cargo  of  slaves  nearly  completed, 
and  that  they  are  now  confined  in  irons  at  a  town 
near  the  river  called  Seymoboe.  She  is  com 
pletely  fitted,  for  the  accommodation  of  slaves, 
has  on  board  several  thousand  gallons  of  water, 
and  a  very  large  quantity  of  rice,  the  common 
food  of  negroes.  She  is  owned,  per  register,  by 
a  Mr.  William  P.  Strike  of  Baltimore,  is  under 
American  colors,  and  is  evidently  acting  in  con 
travention  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  We 
have  also  examined  the  other  vessels  embraced 
in  your  order,  and  find  that  they  are  all  deeply 
engaged  in  the  traffic  of  slaves.  There  is  but 
one,  however,  of  those  under  foreign  flags  that 
we  can  ascertain  as  acting  in  contravention  to 
the  above  law.  This  is  the  schooner  Esper- 
anza  (formerly  the  U.  S.  revenue  cutter  A lert) 
now  under  Spanish  colors.  She  sailed  last 
from  Charleston,  S.  C.,  without  a  clearance,  at 
which  place  she  enlisted  the  major  part  of  her 


1 6  The  Old  Navy. 

crew  of  American  citizens.  Her  apparent  cap 
tain  is  a  Spaniard  by  the  name  of  Mumford, 
but  her  real  captain  and  probable  owner  is  a 
Mr.  Ratcliffe,  an  American,  and  who  is  now  on 
shore  collecting  his  complement  of  negroes." 

The  search  of  the  Dechosa  and  Plattsburg 
result  as  follows  :  "  In  compliance  with  your 
order  we  have  examined  the  schooner  Dechosa 
and  Maria  Gatthreust  or  Plattsburg  detained 
by  this  ship  on  suspicion  of  acting  in  contra 
vention  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 
After  a  close  investigation,  we  find  that  the 
Dechosa,  or  Science,  of  New  York,  is  owned  by 
E.  Mallebran  of  New  York  ;  sailed  from  that 
port  in  January  last,  and  touched  at  Porto 
Rico,  where  she  changed  her  name,  and  came 
immediately  to  this  coast,  landed  her  cargo, 
and  made  arrangements  for  receiving  her  slaves. 
There  is  little  doubt  of  her  being  American 
property,  and  consequently  we  are  of  opinion 
that  she  is  violating  the  laws  of  the  United 
States.  We  can  only  learn  that  the  Maria 
Gatthreust,  or  Plattsburg,  of  Baltimore  sailed 
from  Baltimore  in  December  last  where  she 
shipped  her  crew  and  cargo  of  goods  ;  she 
touched  at  Cuba,  at  which  place  she  changed 
her  character,  and  proceeded  to  this  coast  in 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.        1 7 

quest  of  slaves.  The  number  of  her  men  and 
her  strong  armament  induces  us  to  believe  that 
she  is  not  only  a  vessel  engaged  in  the  traffic 
of  slaves,  but  she  is  fully  prepared  to  commit 
piratical  aggressions  on  the  flag  of  any  nation." 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Captain  Trenchard 
by  this  capture  secured  six  slavers,  and  possibly 
one  pirate.  The  blow  was  a  severe  one  to  the 
slave  trade,  and  did  much  toward  checking  the 
traffic  on  this  part  of  the  coast.  The  officers 
and  crew  of  the  captured  vessels  were  sent  to 
the  United  States  in  the  Eliza. 

While  on  this  coast  Captain  Trenchard  made 
it  a  point  to  treat  all  the  English  officers  with 
special  courtesy,  with  the  result  that  in  spite 
of  her  name  the  Cyane  became  one  of  the 
most  popular  vessels  on  the  station.  Her 
officers  frequently  exchanged  visits  with  those 
of  British  cruisers,  and  many  a  messroom  rang 
with  the  praises  of  the  Cyane  and  her  gallant 
officers.  To  add  to  the  attractive  features  of 
this  cruiser  there  was  a  small  band  of  musicians 
aboard  who  played  regularly  once  a  day  for 
practice,  and  also  on  all  festive  occasions.  It 
is  probable  that  marine  bands  at  that  time, 
especially  those  in  small  cruisers,  had  not  at 
tained  the  high  degree  of  excellence  of  the 


1 8  The  Old  Navy. 

modern  band.  The  musicians  of  the  high 
seas  in  those  days  did  not  occupy  the  import 
ant  position  they  hold  to-day  in  first-class 
cruisers,  and  the  few  lone  and  lorn  manipula 
tors  of  wind  and  brass  in  the  Cyane,  in  all 
probability  would  have  made  a  poor  showing  in 
the  highly  cultivated  musical  ear  of  the  modern 
Jack  Tar.  In  fact,  musicians  at  that  time  were 
regarded  with  condescending  contempt  by  the 
hardy  sailors,  as  being,  perhaps,  good  enough 
to  tickle  the  ear  with  their  tingling  notes,  or  to 
twitch  a  few  muscles  of  the  limbs  into  a  jigging 
mood  in  fair  weather  ;  but  when  it  came  to  real 
work,  and  an  enemy  was  to  be  fought,  they 
were  fit  only  to  be  stowed  away  in  a  cable 
tier.  But  however  that  may  be,  the  Jack  Tar 
of  that  day  had  not  the  high  musical  mind  of 
his  descendants  of  to-day,  and  he  undoubtedly 
tolerated  the  tingling  brass,  and  the  wheezy 
wood,  with  his  usual  good-natured  indifference. 
The  natives  on  the  coast,  however,  were  im 
mensely  impressed  with  the  Cyanes  band.  To 
hear  it  was  one  of  the  events  on  the  West 
African  coast,  and  its  fame  even  extended  to 
the  islands  of  the  sea,  as  the  following  incident 
will  show  :  On  May  iQth,  the  Cyane  put  into 
Port  Praya,  after  a  cruise  in  search  of  slavers. 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.        19 

The  fame  of  her  band  had  preceded  her,  for 
scarcely  had  she  dropped  anchor,  when  a  mes 
senger  came  aboard  with  the  announcement, 
that :  "  His  Excellency,  the  Governor  General, 
solicits  the  pleasure  of  Captain  Trenchard's 
company,  with  that  of  all  the  officers  of  the 
Cyane,  to  tea  this  evening,  and  would  be  highly 
gratified  with  having  a  few  tunes  from  Captain 
Trenchard's  band,  which  he  solicits  may  be 
permitted  to  come  on  shore  with  their  musical 
instruments,  as  the  evening  will  be  rendered 
delightful  and  pleasant  by  a  full  moon."  This 
enchanting  invitation  to  tea  and  a  full  moon 
was  sent  through  one  Hodges,  an  English- 
speaking  person  on  the  island,  and  the  above  is 
as  near  a  literal  interpretation  as  can  be  given. 
Captain  Trenchard  complied  with  the  request 
and  attended  the  Governor.  After  a  decent 
amount  of  time  had  been  allowed  the  American 
officers  for  the  contemplation  of  the  tea  and 
the  full  moon,  the  natives  were  treated  to, 
what  was  to  them,  the  awe-inspiring  sounds 
from  the  Cyanes  band.  With  forethought, 
bred  by  experience,  the  band-master  labelled 
in  advance  the  tunes  that  he  was  about  to 
render,  so  that  the  audience  would  have  no 
difficulty  in  knowing  what  melody  they  were 


20  The  Old  Navy. 

feasting  upon.  So  affected  were  the  natives 
by  this  revelation  of  sound,  that  the  Governor 
straightway,  on  the  following  Sunday,  before 
the  moon  had  again  recovered  her  position  in 
the  heavens  after  her  fullness,  invited  Captain 
Trenchard  and  Lieutenant  Mervine  "  and  any 
of  the  officers  that  can  be  spared  from  the 
ship  "  to  dinner — and  of  course  the  band  had 
to  be  exhibited  again. 

It  was  while  at  this  port  that  Captain  Trench 
ard  showed  his  keen  jealousy  of  the  honor  and 
dignity  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  When  enter 
ing  the  port  he  saluted  the  local  flag,  according 
to  custom,  with  seventeen  guns.  The  shore  bat 
teries  replied  with  only  fifteen.  Captain  Trench 
ard  promptly  sent  Lieutenant  Voorhees  ashore 
to  demand  an  explanation.  The  Governor  threw 
the  blame  upon  the  narrow  shoulders  of  his  un 
fortunate  hirelings,  and  making  profuse  apolo 
gies,  he  caused  the  two  additional  guns  to  be 
fired — several  hours  after  the  fifteen  had  been 
given.  The  cold  facts  in  the  case  seem  to  have 
been,  that  the  fort  ran  short  of  powder  on  the 
fifteenth  discharge,  and  the  poor  under-fed  offi 
cials  of  His  Excellency's  Guard  had  to  do  some 
"  of  the  tallest  kind  of  hustling  "  around  the 
town  to  scare  up  the  two  extra  charges. 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.       21 

During  the  time  of  his  cruise  on  this  station, 
Captain  Trenchard  visited  all  the  important 
points  in  the  vicinity,  including  Madeira,  Cape 
de  Verde,  Senegal  River,  and  Shebro.  While 
at  the  last-named  place,  March  27th,  the  Gov 
ernor,  a  Mr.  McCarthy,  (it  is  needless  to  add 
that  he  was  not  a  native)  with  his  suite,  accom 
panied  by  the  Rev.  Sam.  Bacon,  the  United 
States  agent  for  the  colony,  came  on  board  the 
Cyane  and  dined — the  only  "  square  meal,"  so 
one  of  the  Cyane  s  tars  declared,  the  distin 
guished  guests  had  enjoyed  in  some  months. 
In  honor  of  the  occasion  Captain  Trenchard 
manned  his  yard  and  fired  a  salute  of  fifteen 
guns. 

In  a  letter,  dated  October  2,  1820,  to  his  wife, 
Captain  Trenchard  said :  "  Since  my  return 
from  Funchal,  Madeira,  I  ran  down  toward 
Cape  de  Verde,  and  off  the  Senegal  in  the 
track  of  the  slave  vessels  which  visit  that  part  of 
the  coast  more  frequently  than  formerly.  We 
had  been  cruising  for  twenty  days,  during  which 
time  we  fell  in  with  a  number  of  European  ves 
sels,  but  not  with  any  belonging  to  the  United 
States,  or  appearing  to  be  fitted  out  for  the  slave 
trade.  On  the  i;th  ult.,  I  touched  at  Grand 
Port,  Island  of  St.  Vincent,  where  I  found  H. 


22  The  Old  Navy. 

B.  M.  sloop  of  war,  Myrmadon,  Captain  Leeke, 
who  informed  me  that  Captain  Reed,  of  the 
United  States'  ship  Hornet,  had  taken  a  brig  at 
Buena  Vista,  which  he  had  sent  home  as  a  prize. 
On  my  arrival  here  I  found  a  letter  from  Cap 
tain  Wadsworth,  of  the  United  States'  ship 
John  Adams,  which  I  am  informed  has  instruc 
tions  for  me  from  the  Navy  Department,  and 
that  we  are  ordered  to  the  United  States.  He 
also  mentions  that  he  shall  cruise  from  the 
River  Congo  to  Cape  Mount,  as  the  climate 
appears  to  affect  him.  I  am  now  extremely 
anxious  to  obtain  my  instructions,  and  shall 
sail  immediately  in  quest  of  Captain  Wads- 
worth." 

Captain  Trenchard  had  good  reason  for  be 
ing  "  extremely  anxious"  to  hear  from  the  De 
partment,  for  his  men  were  wasted  with  fever, 
notwithstanding  his  efforts  to  keep  them  in 
health.  With  a  view  of  saving  them  as  much 
as  possible,  he  employed  native  Krumen  at 
Sierra  Leone  to  bring  aboard  such  provisions 
as  the  ship  needed.  Each  Kruman  was  paid  at 
the  rate  of  $1.25  a  week,  and  in  making  out 
the  pay-roll,  the  American  Jack  Tar  showed  his 
ever  present  sense  of  humor.  The  names  of 
these  savages  were  unintelligible  to  the  Yankee 


On  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.       23 

ear,  but  Jack  was  equal  to  the  emergency  and 
dubbed  the  dusky  fellows  with  such  imposing 
titles,  as  "  John  Thomas  Wilkins  Chew  To 
bacco,"  "  Pot  of  Beer,"  "  Sam  Coffee,"  "  Three 
Fathoms,"  "  Half  a  Dollar,"  "  Little  Tom," 
''Jack  Purser,"  and  "  Centipede  "-—the  last 
probably  being  suggested  by  the  expansive 
feet  of  the  man  so  named.  Sublimely  uncon 
scious  of  the  significance  of  these  names,  the 
innocent  savages,  impressed  by  the  new  long- 
drawn  titles,  seemed  immensely  pleased  with 
them,  and  not  a  few  adopted  them  permanently 
as  cognomens,  which  were  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation. 

The  fever,  however,  continued  to  make  sad 
inroads  in  the  Cyanes  crew,  in  spite  of  all  pre 
cautions.  All  white  people  visiting  the  coast 
were  more  or  less  affected.  In  eight  months 
the  English  brig  Snapper  lost  eleven  officers 
and  twenty  men  out  of  a  crew  of  over  fifty 
all  told.  On  April  2oth,  Captain  Trench- 
ard  reported  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
thirty-six  of  his  men  on  the  sick-list.  It  was 
in  response  to  this  alarming  report  that  the 
Cyane  was  ordered  home,  and  her  place  was 
taken  by  the  Hornet. 

Returning   to    the    United    States,  Captain 


24  The  Old  Navy. 

Trenchard  was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  Brook 
lyn  Navy  Yard,  but  his  health  had  been  com 
pletely  broken  down,  and  in  1824  he  died, 
having  seen  eighteen  years  of  sea  service,  out 
of  a  total  of  twenty-four. 


CHAPTER   III. 

CONFESSIONS    OF    A    MIDSHIPMAN. 

STEPHEN  DECATUR  TRENCH- 
ARD,  like  his  father,  began  life  with  the 
intention  of  entering  a  far  more  peaceful  call 
ing  than  that  of  war.  At  the  age  of  eleven,  he 
attended  a  collegiate  school  at  Gambier,  Ohio, 
conducted  by  the  celebrated  Bishop  Chase, 
with  the  intention  of  preparing  for  the  minis 
try.  But  the  embryo  bishop,  with  his  dreams 
of  puffed  sleeves  and  a  shepherd's  crook,  was 
diverted  from  the  path  of  peace  and  good  will 
toward  men,  to  the  cruel  profession  of  war. 
He  had  inherited  a  decided  liking  for  the  sea, 
not  only  from  his  father,  but  from  his  mother, 
the  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Joshua  Sands,  the 
father  of  Joshua  Sands,  who  afterward  attained 
a  high  rank  in  the  navy.  But  aside  from  this 
inherited  taste,  young  Trenchard  bore  one  of 

25 


26  The  Old  Navy. 

the  proudest  names  in  American  naval  history, 
having  been  named  Stephen  Decatur  Trench- 
ard  by  his  father,  in  consideration  of  the  latter's 
life-long  friendship  not  only  with  the  younger 
but  with  the  elder  Stephen  Decatur. 

With  such  a  preponderance  of  circumstances 
urging  him  to  the  sea,  it  was  not  strange  that 
the  youth  abandoned  all  thoughts  of  entering 
the  ministry,  and  began  his  highly  creditable 
career  in  the  navy.  His  training  under  the 
care  of  the  venerable  bishop,  however,  made  a 
lasting  impression  on  his  mind,  and  all  through 
life  he  shows  in  his  letters  and  journal,  a  strong 
religious  bent.  Sunday,  always,  was  a  sacred 
day  with  him.  In  the  four  years  he  com 
manded  the  Rhode  Island,  he  held  service  with 
uniform  regularity,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
some  of  the  wicked  tars  who  preferred  to 
lounge  away  the  time  reading  cheap  literature, 
or  teasing  the  ship's  cat.  It  has  been  estima 
ted  that  during  the  time  he  commanded  this 
vessel,  Trenchard  failed  to  hold  service  on 
Sunday  only  twice,  and  then  only  because  the 
weather  made  church  service  out  of  the  ques 
tion.  In  fact,  before  the  close  of  the  war,  the 
Rhode  Island  became  widely  known  as  the 
"  Gospel  gun-boat."  Trenchard  never  lost 


Confessions  of  a  Midshipman.       27 

an  opportunity  of  attending  service  in  some 
church  in  the  port  where  his  ship  happened  to 
be,  and  he  usually  made  a  note  of  the  clergy 
man's  name,  and  gave  the  text  with  references, 
concluding  with  some  such  comment  as,  "  Felt 
greatly  benefitted  by  the  discourse "  ;  "  My 
heart  goes  out  in  gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  all 
things,  for  the  privilege  of  again  attending 
service  in  the  house  of  God."  There  are  only 
a  few  cases  where  Trenchard  failed  to  make 
these  comments  on  the  clergyman  or  sermon, 
from  which  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  on  those 
occasions,  one  or  both  were  so  wretchedly  in 
ferior  that  the  less  said  the  better. 

One  of  the  greatest  discomforts  to  which 
budding  naval  heroes  were  exposed  in  the 
early  days,  was  not  so  much  the  perils  of  the 
sea,  or  the  desire  to  "  throw  up  his  commis 
sion,"  as  the  ordeal  of  hazing,  which  the  more 
experienced  young  gentlemen  of  the  steerage 
inflicted  upon  the  greenhorn  with  unfailing 
regularity,  and  with  amazing  ingenuity  and 
variety — and  there  is  reason  to  suspect  that  the 
custom  has  not  been  allowed  to  die  out  with 
the  youthful  Farraguts  of  to-day.  Young 
Trenchard,  in  spite  of  his  glorious  "  front 
name  "  and  tender  years,  undoubtedly  would 


28  The  Old  Navy. 

have  been  compelled  to  drink  this  initiatory 
cup  of  naval  greatness  to  the  dregs,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  personal  interest  his  commander, 
Captain  John  Downes,  took  in  him.  Instead 
of  being  exposed  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
young  gentlemen  of  the  steerage,  Trenchard 
was  taken  to  the  Captain's  cabin,  where  he  could 
peek  out  from  under  the  wing  of  the  autocrat 
of  the  ship,  and  bid  defiance  to  the  mischief- 
loving  junior  officers.  But  even  this  is  not 
saying  that  he  escaped  the  ordeal  entirely ;  the 
chances  being  that  the  not  overworked  gentle 
men  of  the  steerage  soon  found  some  means  of 
getting  at  the  young  chick  of  a  middy,  in  spite 
of  the  protecting  feathers  of  the  captain. 

In  those  days  there  was  no  method  of  keep 
ing  the  steerage  warm  in  cold  weather,  ex 
cept  by  heating  a  hot  shot,  and  placing  it  in  a 
bucket  of  sand.  Around  such  makeshift  stoves, 
the  young  officers  would  gather  on  cold  winter 
nights.  The  bucket  necessarily  being  small, 
and  the  feet  of  the  officers  taking  some  room 
—not  that  they  were  unduly  large,  but  that 
they  did  take  up  some  space — they  naturally 
huddled  very  closely  together.  This,  of  course, 
brought  their  heads  into  proximity,  and  under 
the  benign  influence  of  the  contact  and  the  hot 


Confessions  of  a  Midshipman.       29 

shot,  it  would  not  be  strange  if  their  ingenuity 
did  not  speedily  devise  some  way  of  circum 
venting  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  getting  at 
his  protege. 

It  was  not  until  October,  1834,  that  Stephen 
Decatur  Trenchard  hatched  out  into  a  full- 
feathered  midshipman,  and  his  letter  shows 
that  he  was  afflicted  with  all  the  ailments  of 
newly-acquired  rank.  He  actually  had  received 
a  personal  letter  from  no  less  a  personage  than 
the  great  Secretary  of  the  United  States,  with 
a  real  signature  of  that  wonderful  official,  and 
the  seal  of  that  Department.  The  fact  that 
the  letter  was  written  by  some  $i2-a-week- 
clerk  of  the  department,  and  probably  was 
never  even  glanced  at  by  the  Secretary,  made 
no  difference  to  the  youthful  middy. 

The  letter-head  was  that  of  Uncle  Sam's 
great  Secretary,  and  it  undoubtedly  was  ad 
dressed  to  this  identical  Stephen  Decatur 
Trenchard.  He  was  sure  of  this  point,  for  he 
slept  with  it  under  his  pillow,  and  frequently 
got  up  at  night  to  read  it  all  over  again,  and 
to  comment  on  every  splash  of  ink,  and  every 
disfigurement  that  spoiled  the  handsome  sheet 
of  white  paper. 

But  the  contents  of  that  paper  were  the  cap- 


30  The  Old  Navy. 

ping  climax  of  young  Trenchard's  delirium  of 
ecstasy.  After  saying  that  he  was  "  hereby" 
and  "  duly  "  placed  on  probation  for  the  rank  of 
midshipman,  the  youngster  was  appalled  with 
the  thought  that  perhaps  the  eye  of  the  great 
Secretary  had  been  following  him  night  and  day 
with  tireless  watchfulness,  notinghis  every  move 
in  sleep  or  wakefulness,  and  that  only  after  the 
most  careful  weighing  of  his  qualification  in  a 
supposititious  apothecary's  scale,  had  the  great 
Secretary  of  the  United  States  decided  that 
Trenchard  was  fit  to  be  a  candidate  for  mid 
shipman.  After  reading  this  letter  for  the 
twenty-second  time,  the  youthful  Trenchard 
got  control  of  his  bobbing  eyes  sufficiently 
to  make  out  these  important  words:  "  If  your 
commanding  officer  shall,  after  six  months  of 
actual  service  at  sea,  report  favorably  of  your 
character,  talent,  and  qualifications,  a  warrant 
will  be  given  to  you  bearing  the  date  of  this 
letter.  I  enclose  a  description  of  the  uniform, 
and  the  requisite  oath  ;  the  latter  when  taken 
and  subscribed  you  will  transmit  to  the  De 
partment,  with  your  letter  of  acceptance,  in 
which  you  will  state  your  age  and  place  of 
nativity."  This  was  the  section  that  so  per 
turbed  the  modest  nature  of  young  Trenchard. 


Confessions  of  a  Midshipman.       31 

"  Your  letter  of  acceptance  ! "  Mirabile  dictit. 
"  Accept !  Well,  I  don't  think  not,"  or  whatever 
was  the  favorite  slang  of  the  day  ;  and  forthwith 
the  youngster  began  to  assume  airs  of  import 
ance,  which  even  the  terrors  of  steerage  hazing 
could  not  altogether  suppress. 

The  description  of  the  midshipman's  uniform 
sent  by  the  great  Secretary,  also,  was  peculiarly 
calculated  to  cause  the  stripling  of  a  midship 
man  to  feel  elated.  Short  of  stature,  even  for 
his  age,  and  with  a  chunky  little  neck,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  he  walked  about  the  deck  with  his 
head  thrown  back,  his  chin  alarmingly  elevated, 
and  presenting  an  abnormally  stuck-up  appear 
ance  generally,  because  the  regulations  (cruelly 
unmindful  of  the  fact  that  a  mere  boy  might 
be  called  upon  to  wear  the  uniform)  demanded 
a  stiff  collar  with  an  oak-leaf  and  a  large  anchor 
embroidered  upon  it.  The  collar  was  not  to 
be  one  jot  or  tittle  less  than  three  and  a  half 
inches  high,  amply  sufficient  to  get  several 
large  anchors  upon  it,  and  it  being  Trenchard's 
first  official  uniform,  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  that  he  insisted  on  good  measurement 
— regardless  of  the  fact  that  such  a  collar 
would  have  an  unfailing  tendency  to  saw  his 
short  neck  off  close  under  the  ears. 


32  The  Old  Navy. 

Returning  from  his  probationary  cruise  in  the 
Mediterranean,  in  the  historic  Constitution  (in 
which  it  may  safely  be  conjectured  that  young 
Trenchard's  conduct  was  the  very  pink  of  nau 
tical  excellence)  he  received  his  warrant  as  mid 
shipman,  July  6,  1834,  and  was  ordered  to  the 
receiving  ship  Concord,  at  Portsmouth.  Lieu 
tenant  Mclntosh,  afterward  captain  in  the 
Confederate  service,  had  the  distinguished 
honor  of  handing  the  midshipman's  warrant  to 
him.  He  said  :  "  I  have  great  pleasure  to  en 
close  your  warrant  as  midshipman.  I  con 
gratulate  you  upon  being  permanently  attached 
to  the  navy,  and  as  the  Department  has  fa 
vored  your  claim,  I  trust  you  will  continue  to 
meet  the  approbation  of  those  with  whom  you 
may  be  associated."  By  this  time  young 
Trenchard's  poor  neck  had  become  calloused 
sufficiently  to  be  reconciled  to  the  enormous 
collar,  so  that  the  placing  of  a  star  of  the  first 
magnitude  on  the  collar,  the  insignia  of  mid 
shipman's  rank,  in  place  of  the  atrocious  an 
chor  did  not  so  seriously  inconvenience  him  or 
cause  him  to  hold  his  head  higher  than  was 
necessary. 

During  the  war  with  the  southern  Indians 
Trenchard  cruised  in  the  West  Indies,  and  on 


Confessions  of  a  Midshipman.       33 

the  coast  of  Florida,  under  Commander  Hiram 
Paulding  of  the  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain 
fame.  Trenchard  took  passage  in  the  Levant 
from  Pensacola  to  New  York,  also  under 
Paulding,  the  latter  noting,  "  During  the  time 
he  (Trenchard)  was  aboard  his  conduct  was 
unexceptionable." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


JOLLY    MIDSHIPMITES. 


BEFORE  the  Naval  Academy  was  estab 
lished  at  Annapolis,  1845,  our  officers 
were  compelled  to  pass  an  examination  before 
a  Board  of  Examiners  at  the  Naval  Asylum 
and  Hospital  in  Philadelphia.  Trenchard  with 
his  usual  conscientiousness  had  long  been  pre 
paring  for  this  ordeal,  and  on  returning  from 
his  Mediterranean  cruise  in  1840,  he  attended 
the  school  in  Philadelphia.  Here  he  came  in 
contact  with  many  of  the  aged  Jack  Tars  from 
whom  the  aspiring  officers  learned  many  a 
lesson  in  seamanship  and  the  proper  reverence 
for  officers.  Being  in  a  great  city — as  Phila 
delphia  was  then  considered — these  young 
officers  attending  the  naval  school  found  it 
necessary  to  dress  a  little  more  stylishly  than 
they  had  been  accustomed  to  do  aboard  ship. 


34 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  35 

They  frequently  appeared  in  public  on  the 
"  promenade  "  or  at  "  parties  "  and  it  was  con 
sidered  good  taste  for  them  to  have  a  full  suit 
of  civilian's  clothes.  But  here  a  difficulty 
arose.  The  pay  of  a  midshipman  was  ex 
tremely  small,  and  after  furnishing  their  own 
uniforms,  and  meeting  other  expenses  incident 
to  the  service,  they  found  difficulty  in  supply 
ing  themselves  with  a  civilian's  outfit. 

The  ingenuity  of  the  American  naval  officer, 
however,  is  proverbial,  and  it  is  never  shown 
to  better  advantage  than  in  the  face  of  difficul 
ties.  The  young  midshipmen  of  the  Philadel 
phia  Naval  School,  soon  hit  upon  the  device  of 
establishing  a  "  class  wardrobe."  As  it  was 
impossible  for  each  and  every  one  of  them  to 
purchase  a  complete  outfit,  it  was  agreed  upon 
by  the  members  of  the  class,  that  one  should 
buy  a  coat,  another  a  hat,  another  a  waistcoat, 
another  a  pair  of  trousers,  another  a  pair  of 
shoes,  and  so  on  throughout  the  whole  para 
phernalia  of  the  stylish  dress  of  that  day.  When 
not  in  use  these  articles  of  clothing  were  care 
fully  hung  in  the  class  wardrobe,  and  in  this 
way  an  extensive  collection  of  pants,  shoes, 
coats,  hats,  and  vests  accumulated. 

When  any  of  the  midshipmen  desired  to  at- 


36  The  Old  Navy. 

tend  the  "  promenade,"  or  a  party  where  civil 
ian  costume  was  "  the  thing,"  he  was  privileged 
to  visit  the  class  wardrobe,  and  fit  himself  out 
as  best  he  could  with  the  common  property. 
Of  course,  the  attempt  was  made  to  keep  an 
equal  supply  of  pants,  coats,  and  vests,  etc., 
and  also  to  have  such  a  variety  of  sizes  as  to 
accommodate  as  many  different  figures  as  the 
class  contained.  The  plan  worked  tolerably 
well,  although  there  were  some  cases  of  misfits. 
Complaints  were  made  from  young  officers 
having  long  waists  and  short  legs  ;  but  they 
managed  to  get  along  on  the  promenade,  by 
taking  a  cleverly  concealed  reef  in  their  trou 
sers.  Those  who  were  inclined  to  obesity  sub 
mitted  to  the  slender  waistcoats  with  charmingly 
good  grace,  by  enduring  for  the  time  they  were 
on  parade  the  tortures  of  tight  lacing.  Those 
who  were  flat-chested  cheerfully  filled  the  gap 
with  padding,  while  those  who  had  to  crowd 
No.  8  feet  into  No.  6  shoes,  submitted  to  the 
ordeal  with  astonishing  fortitude. 

So,  taking  it  all  in  all,  the  class  wardrobe  was 
a  great  success.  The  only  emergency  the  in 
genious  young  midshipmen  could  not  meet, 
was  when  there  happened  to  be  an  unusually 
heavy  and  simultaneous  demand  on  the  cloth- 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  37 

ing.  This  occurred  when  some  kind-hearted 
hostess  with  charming  daughters  was  to  give  a 
"  formal "  at  which  civilian  costume  was  to  be 
the  rule  of  the  evening.  Then  the  trouble 

o 

began  ;  for  in  spite  of  all  their  rules  and  regula 
tions  about  buying  the  various  articles  of  civil 
ian  costume,  it  would  happen  that  there  would 
be  more  coats  than  waistcoats,  or  more  boots 
than  pants,  which  resulted  in  the  painful  alter 
native  of  some  of  the  midshipmen  not  going  to 
the  joyous  occasion  at  all,  or  appearing  on  the 
ball-room  floor  in  pants  and  waistcoat,  without 
the  coat,  or  in  coat  and  waistcoat  without  the 
pants — either  of  which,  of  course,  could  not  be 
thought  of  for  a  moment,  for  no  matter  how  im 
maculate  was  the  polish  on  the  shoe-buckles, 
the  deficiencies  in  the  suit  were  sure  to  be  no 
ticed — even  in  Philadelphia.  So  the  unfortu 
nate  ones  had  to  stay  in  the  barracks,  sucking 
their  thumbs,  waiting  for  their  comrades  to  re 
turn  from  the  fun,  and  tell  how  much  they  en 
joyed  themselves.  It  is  said  that  more  than 
one  lifelong  coolness  between  midshipmen,  who 
afterward  became  Commodores  and  Rear  Ad 
mirals,  resulted  from  just  such  a  little  thing  as 
this. 

The  love  of  dancing  and  attending  parties, 


38  The  Old  Navy. 

developed  among  the  younger  officers  under 
such  circumstances,  stood  them  in  good  need 
later  in  life.  Whenever  these  youngsters  went 
on  a  cruise  they  were  sure  to  concoct  some  sort 
of  a  dance  or  entertainment  in  whatever  port 
they  happened.  If  at  sea,  they  seized  such  oc 
casions  as  Christmas  Eve,  Thanksgiving  night, 
or  Fourth  of  July,  as  a  pretext  for  a  jollifica 
tion,  and  had  the  dance  out  among  themselves 
over  the  somewhat  encumbered  decks  of  the 
cruisers.  In  such  cases  no  ill  feeling  was  caused 
by  the  poverty  of  the  class  wardrobe,  for  all 
appeared  in  their  usual  sea  dress.  Young 
Trenchard,  in  spite,  of  his  predilection  for  the 
ministry,  and  intensely  religious  nature,  be 
came  an  enthusiastic  devotee  of  Terpsichore, 
and  his  dancing,  so  the  ladies  said,  was  "just 
too  lovely  for  anything." 

This,  however,  did  not  detract  from  his  abil 
ity  as  an  officer,  for  we  have  it  from  the  execu 
tive  officer  of  the  Preble  himself,  (Lieutenant 
Junius  Boyle,)  that  Trenchard  was  one  of  the 
best  passed  midshipmen  he  had  ever  sailed  with. 
As  the  executive  officer  of  the  warship  is  sup 
posed  to  be  in  a  perpetual  tooth  and  nail  fight 
with  every  object,  animate  or  inanimate,  in  the 
ship,  from  the  keelson  to  the  masthead,  from 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  39 

the  ship's  goat  to  the  captain  himself,  such  a 
remark  from  him  about  one  of  the  Junior  offi 
cers  may  well  be  regarded  as  a  compliment,  as 
the  younger  officers  of  the  present  navy  will 
freely  acknowledge.  It  is  complimentary  to 
Trenchard  to  note  that  Farragut  himself  was  a 
most  nimble  and  graceful  dancer,  all  of  which 
goes  to  show  that  dancing  is  by  no  means  detri 
mental  to  greatness  ;  so,  on  with  the  dance,  and 
let  the  fight  come  when  it  will. 

On  leaving  the  naval  school  at  Philadelphia, 
in  1841,  Trenchard  was  ordered  to  t\\ePreble, 
and  made  a  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean.  In 
those  days,  this  was  the  favored  station  of  all 
navies,  and  the  officers  and  men  always  counted 
on  having  a  royal  good  time.  And  of  all  the 
ports  in  that  sea,  Port  Mahon  was  the  one 
where  more  pleasure  could  be  extracted  to  the 
square  foot  than  any  other  port  within  their 
ken.  In  later  years,  with  the  enormous  increase 
in  the  size  and  draft  of  war  vessels,  Port  Mahon 
is  seldom  visited,  but  at  the  time  the  Preble 
stopped  there  in  1842,  it  was  in  the  zenith  of  its 
glory.  The  place  was  a  sort  of  rendezvous, 
where  the  wives  of  our  officers  lived,  while  their 
husbands  were  on  the  station,  and  where  the 
leading  families  were  always  ready  to  welcome 


40  The  Old  Navy. 

our  people  to  their  homes.  Perhaps  this  is 
why  Trenchard  notes,  "  At  Port  Mahon  a  num 
ber  of  American  ladies  joined  the  squadron." 
The  Mahonese  were  especially  fond  of  the 
American  officers,  and  that  the  sentiment  was 
fully  reciprocated  is  attested  by  the  fact  that  a 
number  of  marriages  took  place,  and  some  of 
these  women  are  now  living  with  their  families 
in  the  United  States. 

The  dances  given  at  Port  Mahon  by  the 
American  naval  officers  became  famous  through 
out  the  Mediterranean  ports.  Our  Government 
had  a  regular  navy  agent  there,  and  an  enor 
mous  storehouse,  the  smooth  oak  floor  of  which, 
as  the  eagle  eye  of  our  young  officers  soon  dis 
covered,  when  polished  and  waxed,  made  an 
admirable  place  for  dancing.  It  did  not  take 
them  long  to  crowd  all  of  Uncle  Sam's  truck 
into  one  half  of  the  building,  thus  leaving  a 
clear  space  admirably  suited  for  a  ball-room. 
This  place  was  profusely  decorated  with  bunt 
ing  of  all  colors,  while  a  number  of  old  barrel- 
hoops,  ingeniously  arranged  with  groups  of 
bayonets  and  evergreens,  made  novel,  if  not  ex 
pensive  chandeliers, — the  candles  being  stuck 
on  the  points  of  the  bayonets.  Old  Jean  Cachos, 
the  veteran  caterer  of  Port  Mahon,  declared 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  41 

that  he  got  many  an  "inspiration  "  in  his  art 
from  the  lavish  generosity  of  the  American 
officers,  under  the  influence  of  which  he  pro 
duced  "  symphonies"  "  dreams,"  "  creations," 
etc.,  in  ices  and  confitures  that  were  really 
creditable. 

At  the  end  of  every  season  our  officers  usu 
ally  gave  a  fancy-dress  ball,  every  one  of  the 
prominent  personages  in  town  attending.  The 
fancy-dress  ball  given  at  the  time  Trenchard 
was  there  was  a  memorable  affair.  People  came 
from  far  and  near  to  attend  it,  and  it  was  as 
tonishing  how  many  of  our  warships  scattered 
in  different  parts  of  the  Mediterranean,  found 
their  stores  giving  out  just  about  that  time, 
and  dropped  into  Port  Mahon  to  replenish — 
and  incidentally  be  in  good  season  to  attend  the 
ball. 

At  this  affair  one  of  the  midshipmen,  imper 
sonated  the  "  Old  Boot  of  Chatham  Street, 
New  York."  In  those  days,  before  Paddy 
Divvers  had  the  name  of  the  venerable  street 
changed  to  Park  Row,  one  of  the  most  con 
spicuous  monuments  in  the  thoroughfare  was 
an  enormous  wooden  boot,  some  six  feet  high, 
which  stood  on  the  sidewalk.  It  belonged  to 
an  enterprising  shoe-maker,  and  his  shop  be- 


42  The  Old  Navy. 

came  well  known  among  naval  officers  as  the 
"  Old  Boot."  The  midshipman  in  question  had 
ingeniously  contrived  a  tolerably  fair  imitation 
of  this  boot  out  of  barrel-hoops  and  canvas. 
Getting  into  it,  he  managed  to  hold  it  up  by 
means  of  straps,  the  sole  resting  on  rollers,  while 
a  couple  of  slight  holes,  cut  near  the  top  of  the 
leg,  enabled  him  to  navigate  the  ball-room  and 
steer  clear  of  posts  and  wall-flowers.  He  did 
not  dance  in  costume,  although  he  made  brave 
efforts  to  induce  some  fair  woman  to  accept 
him — the  excuse  being  that  his  foot  was  too 
large. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  about  this  mid 
shipman,  however,  and  the  topic  that  was  most 
widely  discussed,  was  the  fact  that  he  refused 
to  allow  his  identity  to  become  known.  This 
became  simply  marvellous  when  refreshments 
were  served.  Wine  flowed  like  water,  and  a 
delicious  sausage,  called  sobensados,  made  ex 
clusively  by  the  Mahonese,  and  of  which  our 
officers  were  very  found  (so  much  so  that 
every  Mahonese  visiting  the  United  States 
was  always  entreated  to  make  the  savory  dish), 
were  offered  unstintedly,  and  without  price. 
The  fortitude  of  this  midshipman  in  refusing, 
or  rather  being  unable  to  eat  or  drink,  was 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  43 

widely  commented  upon  and  aroused  the  sym 
pathies  of  the  other  guests.  Finally,  some  of 
the  ladies  and  gentlemen,  purely  and  solely 
out  of  the  fullness  of  their  overflowing  good 
nature,  insisted  on  pouring  wine  into  the  peep 
holes  of  the  boot,  and  then  thrusting  sausages 
into  the  same  apertures,  having  a  vague  idea 
that  somehow  or  other  the  drink  and  food 
might  reach  the  self-denying  prisoner  within, 
and  he  could  drink  the  wine  and  munch  the 
sobensados  in  his  calm,  though  somewhat 
heated,  retreat.  There  seems  to  have  been  no 
question  about  the  wine  reaching  him — al 
though  probably  not  in  a  drinkable  way — but 
the  sausages  stuffed  into  the  peep-holes  com 
pletely  cut  off  his  line  of  vision.  His  hands 
were  engaged  in  holding  up  the  straps,  so  he 
endeavored  to  tear  the  sausages  out  with  his 
teeth.  But  they  were  strong  and  resisted  all 
his  efforts  to  pull  in  or  push  out,  so  that  he 
was  compelled  to  heave-to  under  short  sail  and 
flounder  around  the  ball-room  very  much  like 
a  ship  without  a  rudder. 

Young  Trenchard  shortly  afterward  was 
transferred  from  the  Preble  to  the  Fairfield, 
and  cruised  in  the  Mediterranean  touching  at 
the  various  ports.  He  found  that  the  fame  of 


44  The  Old  Navy. 

the  American  navy  officers  as  entertainers  had 
reached  every  port,  and  as  soon  as  the  Fair- 
field  dropped  anchor,  she  was  visited  by  scores 
of  pleasure-loving  people.  Trenchard  was 
greatly  amazed  to  find  what  a  large  percentage 
of  the  population  consisted  of  kings,  queens, 
princes  of  the  blood,  dukes,  and  other  ranks  of 
high  degree.  He  began  to  think — and  his 
belief  was  shared  by  every  man  in  the  ship — 
that  these  ports  must  have  been  populated  al 
most  exclusively  by  aristocrats.  The  common 
sailors  in  the  ship  could  ill  conceal  their  dis 
gust  for  these  guests,  because  their  visits  en 
tailed  an  immense  amount  of  ceremony,  and 
extra  labor  in  manning  the  rigging,  which  of 
course,  fell  most  heavily  on  poor  Jack. 

While  at  one  of  the  Italian  ports,  where  the 
Fairfield  was  infested  with  the  usual  swarm  of 
royalty,  great  excitement  was  caused  by  one 
of  the  visitors  falling  down  a  hatchway.  One 
of  the  guests, — a  princess — somewhat  terrified 
by  the  hurry  and  bustle  attendant  upon  the 
fall,  inquired  of  a  rugged  down-east  quarter 
master  what  the  trouble  was.  "  Oh,  nothing 
much,  marm.  Only  one  of  them  'ere  kings 
tumbled  down  a  hatchway  and  broke  his  neck." 

It  was  while  Trenchard  was  engaged  in  the 


Jolly  Midshipmites.  45 

coast-survey,  that  he  won  unusual  distinction 
in  receiving  a  sword  from  Queen  Victoria. 
He  left  the  Mediterranean  in  1842,  and  in  the 
winter  of  1845-1846  he  was  aboard  the  Galla- 
tin  engaged  in  surveying  the  coast  of  Georgia 
and  Florida.  During  the  summer  of  1856  he 
commanded  the  Vixen,  and  surveyed  the  New 
England  coast.  Although  great  changes  have 
been  made  in  the  Government  coast-surveys 
since  Trenchard's  work,  yet  many  of  the  maps 
now  in  use  are  based  on  his  surveys.  He  also 
invented  a  tide  gauge,  which  was  adopted  by 
the  Coast  Survey  Bureau. 

While  off  Cape  Ann,  August  i4th  of  this 
year,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  discovered  a  bark 
that  seemed  to  be  in  a  sinking  condition.  He 
ran  down  to  her,  and  with  no  little  risk,  rescued 
the  crew  and  sent  them  into  Boston.  The 
wreck  proved  to  be  the  British  bark  Adieu, 
of  Glasgow,  bound  for  Boston.  She  had 
struck  a  dangerous  reef  near  Cape  Ann,  and 
the  weather  at  the  time  being  rough,  she  was 
rapidly  pounding  to  pieces,  when  discovered 
by  Lieutenant  Trenchard.  A  boat  under  the 
command  of  Mr.  Morrison  was  sent  aboard, 
and  bore  off  the  officers  and  crew  who  were 
completely  exhausted.  Had  it  not  been  for 


46  The  Old  Navy. 

the  prompt  assistance  offered  by  the  Americans, 
every  soul  would  have  perished.  The  British 
Consul  at  Boston,  Sir  Edward  Grattan,  highly 
complimented  Lieutenant  Trenchard  on  his 
service,  and  reported  the  matter  to  his  govern 
ment.  In  the  following  year,  January  21,  1857, 
Lord  Clarendon  wrote  :  "  Her  Majesty's  Gov 
ernment  cannot  allow  the  matter  to  pass  with 
out  offering  Lieutenant  Trenchard  and  Mr. 
Morrison  some  mark  of  gratitude.  They  have, 
accordingly,  caused  to  be  prepared  for  each 
of  these  officers  a  sword,  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  transmit  to  you  herewith,  and  I  ven 
ture  to  express  the  hope,  that  they  may  be 
permitted  to  accept  them,  more  especially  as 
the  officers  of  the  Vixen  declined  to  make  any 
claim  for  salvage."  It  was  against  the  laws 
of  the  United  States  for  its  officers  to  accept 
any  present  or  gift  from  a  foreign  state  or  po 
tentate,  but  in  the  case  of  Lieutenant  Tren 
chard,  Congress  passed  a  special  act,  permitting 
him  to  receive  the  sword. 


CHAPTER  V. 

OFF  FOR  THE  CHINA  SEA. 

THAT  the  mass  of  the  American  people 
have  always  taken  deep  interest  in  the 
maintenance  and  development  of  the  navy  is 
shown  by  the  close  watch  that  is  kept  on  our 
new  cruisers.  The  slightest  incident  connected 
with  them  is  promptly  telegraphed  all  over  the 
country,  while  a  triumph  in  speed  or  any  other 
detail  is  regarded  as  a  matter  of  national  re 
joicing.  The  same  interest  was  noticeable 
when  the  first  group  of  steam  frigates  was 
constructed.  Widely  differing  opinions  were 
freely  offered  concerning  them  and  their  con 
struction,  and  their  trial  performances  were 
watched  with  minutest  care.  One  of  the  first 
steam  frigates  was  the  side-wheeler  Powhatan, 
and  such  a  superb  specimen  of  " advanced" 
naval  architecture  was  she  thought  to  be,  that 

47 


48  The  Old  Navy. 

it  was  decided  to  send  her  to  the  China  sta 
tion  under  the  command  of  Capt.  George  F. 
Pearson  or,  "  Honest  George "  as  he  was 
familiarly  known.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  was 
ordered  to  this  vessel  as  her  executive  officer. 
The  frigate  was  fitted  for  an  extended  cruise 
in  the  Far  East  at  Norfolk,  and  she  had  the 
honor  of  having  for  a  passenger  from  that  port 
to  Madeira,  ex-President  Pierce,  wife,  and  suite. 
The  difficulty  of  getting  new  and  compli 
cated  ideas  of  machinery  to  work  properly, 
especially  when  applied  to  navigation,  was 
brought  out  clearly  in  the  attempts  of  the 
Powhatan  to  sail  from  this  port.  The  ship  got 
underway,  December  7,  1857,  and  stood  down 
the  roads,  receiving  a  salute  from  the  receiv 
ing  ship  Pennsylvania.  When  the  Powhatan 
was  abreast  of  the  hospital,  one  of  her  main 
valves  got  out  of  order,  which  compelled  her  to 
anchor  and  send  a  boat  to  the  Navy  Yard. 
The  difficulty  being  adjusted,  the  frigate  at 
i  P.  M.,  December  loth,  again  got  under 
way,  but  scarcely  had  she  passed  Old  Point 
Comfort  when  another  defect  was  developed 
in  her  machinery,  making  it  necessary  for  her 
to  return  to  Hampton  Roads,  so  that  it  was 
not  until  December  nth,  that  she  finally  got 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  49 

to  sea.  In  view  of  these  accidents,  it  is  not 
strange  that  so  many  of  the  old-time  navy  offi 
cers  were  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  steam 
in  war-ships.  Such  mishaps  might  have  been 
accounted  for  by  the  superstitious  seamen  as 
an  ill-omen  for  their  long  cruise,  but,  neverthe 
less,  the  Powhatan  made  the  run  across  the 
Atlantic  under  sail  and  easy  steam  without 
serious  mishap. 

On  the  fourth  day  out  she  fell  in  with  the 
American  bark  Olando,  forty  days  from  Pa 
lermo,  for  Boston.  Supplying  her  with  pro 
visions  and  sending  their  letters  aboard,  the 
Americans  continued  their  course.  After  a 
delay  of  two  hours  on  the  2Oth  to  "  adjust  the 
engines  "  the  Powhatan  reached  Funchal  on 
the  27th,  where  the  ex-President  and  his  family 
went  ashore,  after  "  making  a  very  appropriate 
address  to  the  crew."  The  frigate  left  Fun 
chal  January  6,  1858,  and  after  a  pleasant 
run  of  twenty-one  days,  dropped  anchor  off 
Jamestown,  St.  Helena,  where  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  visited  the  scene  of  Napoleon's 
captivity  and  death. 

It  was  while  leaving  Jamestown  that  the 
Powhatan  s  career  was  nearly  cut  short  by  one 
of  those  accidents  of  the  sea  which  are  liable 


50  The  Old  Navy. 

to  happen  even  under  the  most  favorable  cir 
cumstances.     Having    replenished    her    coal- 
bunkers,  the   frigate,  on  the  evening  of   the 
3Oth,  got  under  way.     She  had  not  proceeded 
far  from  her  anchorage,  when,  in  the  uncertain 
light  of  falling  night,  a  vessel  under  full  sail 
suddenly  loomed  up  close   off  the  starboard 
bow,  evidently  intending  to  cross  the  frigate's 
course.     Alarms  were  promptly  given,  but  it 
was  too  late  ;  the  Powhatan  giving  a  broad 
sheer  struck  the  stranger  a  slanting  blow,  car 
rying  away  her  bowsprit  and  head-booms  and 
tearing  the  bottom  out  of  the  starboard  barge. 
The  vessel  proved  to  be  the  Dutch  bark  Stad 
Enchede.     The  Americans  promptly  sent  boats 
to    her  assistance.     Fortunately  she  had    not 
been  injured  below  the  water-line,  and  taking 
her  in  tow  the  Americans   brought  her   into 
port,  where  they  remained  until  February  ist 
lending  every  assistance  and  sending  aboard 
two  of  their  spare  topmasts. 

Again  leaving  St.  Helena  on  the  evening  of 
February  ist,  the  Powhatan  shaped  her  course 
southward.  With  a  view  of  saving  her  coal 
the  ship  was  kept  under  sail  as  much  as  possi- 
sible,  at  which  times  the  "  buckets  "  or  blades  of 
the  paddle-wheels  were  taken  off  so  as  not  to 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  51 

impede  her  progress  through  the  water.  But 
in  spite  of  the  greatest  economy  Lieutenant 
Trenchard,  on  February  Qth,  discovered  that 
the  ship  had  less  than  twenty-four  hours  of 
coal  aboard,  and  as  they  were  approaching 
Cape  Town,  where  strong  currents  in  the  calm 
might  carry  them  upon  dangerous  rocks,  the 
ship  was  kept  entirely  under  sail. 

How  necessary  was  this  precaution,  was  seen 
several  days  later  when  the  Powhatan  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  shipwreck,  being  saved  only 
by  a  slender  supply  of  coal.  The  ship  sailed 
down  the  African  coast  with  the  land  in  sight 
most  of  the  way,  until  the  iSth  when  she  be 
gan  to  feel  the  heavy  swell  around  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  which  carried  her  towards  the 
shore.  As  there  was  not  sufficient  wind  to 
govern  the  vessel  Lieutenant  Trenchard  had 
the  buckets  of  the  paddle-wheels  replaced,  pre 
paratory  to  getting  steam  up.  At  daybreak, 
February  jQth,  heavy  breakers  were  discovered 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant.  The  ship  had 
been  drifting  toward  them  during  the  night 
and  had  come  dangerously  near  before  they 
were  discovered.  "  Happily  we  succeeded  at 
4.30  A.M.,"  wrote  Lieutenant  Trenchard,  "  in 
getting  steam  up  and  most  providentially  es- 


52  The  Old  Navy. 

caped  drifting*  upon    the  rocks  toward  which 
the  current  and  heavy  swell  had  set  the  ship 


so  near." 


Running  into  Table  Bay  the  Powhatan  ex 
changed  salutes  with  the  town  and  was  visited 
by  the  American  Consul,  who  was  saluted  with 
nine  guns.  Three  days  later  the  ship  was 
dressed  in  bunting  and  a  salute  of  twenty-one 
guns  was  fired  in  honor  of  Washington's  birth. 
During  a  heavy  gale,  February  28th,  the  Pow 
hatan  sent  a  boat  to  assist  a  bark  that  had 
been  driven  ashore.  The  boat  approached  as 
near  as  possible  but  the  breakers  proved  to  be 
too  formidable  for  her  to  render  assistance. 
The  crew  of  the  stranded  vessel  subsequently 
escaped  to  shore.  On  March  6th,  the  Powhatan 
herself  came  near  being  placed  in  the  same 
position.  A  sudden  squall  came  up  on  the 
evening  of  that  day  and  parted  her  bower 
chain.  Fortunately  the  other  chains  held  the 
ship  fast. 

Leaving  Cape  Town  March  8th,  the  Pow 
hatan  had  a  pleasant  run  to  Port  Louis,  Island 
of  Mauritius.  It  was  while  at  this  place  that 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  heard  of  the  dreadful 
accident  that  befell  the  British  troop  ship 
Sarah  Sands,  an  iron  screw  steamer  from 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  53 

Portsmouth,  England,  bound  for  Calcutta,  hav 
ing  on  board  four  hundred  troops,  including  a 
number  of  women  and  children.  When  some 
days  out  from  Port  Louis,  fire  broke  out  in 
the  ship  and  in  the  explosion  of  some  powder 
part  of  the  stern  was  blown  out.  Trenchard 
gives  the  following  account  of  the  accident  in 
the  words  of  a  British  officer  who  was  aboard 
at  the  time.  "On  Wednesday,  the  nth  in 
stant,  one  of  the  most  fearful  experiences  of 
fire  ever  experienced  by  man  broke  out  in  the 
after-hole  of  the  ship  at  4.15  P.M.  I  was  in 
my  cabin  dressing  for  dinner  when  I  heard 
considerable  bustle  outside,  and  on  going  into 
the  saloon  saw  smoke  issue  from  one  of  the 
cabins  on  the  port  side.  The  fearful  reality 
then  flashed  upon  me  that  the  ship  was  on  fire. 
On  my  way  to  the  deck  I  met  Major  Brett, 
who  ordered  the  ammunition  to  be  cleared 
out  of  the  magazine,  which  was  immediately 
attended  to.  The  whole  of  the  boats  were 
ordered  to  be  lowered,  the  ladies  were  put  into 
the  port  life-boat,  and  they  stood  out  from  the 
ship.  So  sudden  and  rapid  was  this  awful  fire, 
that  those  amongst  us  who  had  their  wives  on 
board,  had  not  time  to  take  leave  of  them,  for 
all  that  is  dear  to  the  soldier  must  be  sacrificed 


54  The  Old  Navy. 

to  the  call  of  duty  and  his  country's  honor.  I 
accordingly  rushed  into  the  magazine  and 
superintended  the  getting  up  of  the  powder, 
which  was  soon  cleared  out  of  the  starboard 
side.  But  that  portion  placed  on  the  port  side 
could  not  be  got  out  for  some  time,  owing  to 
the  density  of  smoke  and  heat.  However, 
after  a  plentiful  supply  of  water,  volunteers 
came  forward  and  brought  up  the  ammunition, 
excepting  one  barrel  which  was  dropped  by 
one  of  the  men  and  could  not  be  recovered. 
Several  of  the  gallant  fellows  who  volunteered 
for  this  dangerous  duty  were  brought  up  sense 
less,  but  were  immediately  succeeded  by  others, 
until  the  whole  was  removed." 

"  At  6  P.M.  three  rafts  were  constructed  as 
a  last  resource,  should  we  not  succeed  in  put 
ting  out  the  fire.  At  7  P.M.  the  flames  were 
seen  issuing  from  the  quarter-deck ;  pumps, 
buckets,  and  every  available  article  were  put 
into  requisition  and  worked  most  gallantly  by 
officers  and  men,  who  combated  the  flames  with 
utmost  coolness.  Too  much  praise  cannot  be 
given  to  Major  Brett,  in  command  of  the  troops 
during  this  fearful  disaster,  for  the  calm  and 
soldier-like  demeanor  he  displayed  under  our 
trying  circumstances,  being  wholly  supported 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  55 

by  all  on  board.  At  n  P.M.  a  barrell  of  gun 
powder  together  with  the  ship's  ammunition 
exploded,  blowing  out  the  stern  quarter  of  the 
vessel.  Several  persons  were  knocked  down 
by  the  concussion.  I  was  standing  with  a 
brother  officer  in  command  of  a  party  working 
the  pumps,  and  we  were  thrown  forward  for 
some  distance  and  fell  to  the  deck.  This  ex- 
plosition  caused  a  fearful  and  solemn  pause  of 
some  seconds,  when  our  brave  and  heroic  ad 
jutant  sang  out,  l  All 's  right,  lads,  that  will  do 
us  good,  and  with  God's  help,  we  will  soon  get 
the  fire  under,'  and  pumps  and  buckets  were 
passed  with  fresh  vigor." 

"  At  this  time  the  ship  was  in  flames  from 
the  mainmast  to  the  stern.  At  midnight  the 
mizzenmast  was  one  body  of  flames,  and  in 
half  an  hour  fell  overboard  with  a  fearful  crash. 
It  is  due  to  the  officers  in  that  part  of  the 
crew  who  were  on  board,  to  state  that  they  did 
their  duty  manfully,  but  I  regret  that  honesty 
compels  me  to  say  that  a  few  of  the  ship's  com 
pany  deserted  their  vessel  in  a  cowardly  and 
disgraceful  manner.  At  i  A.M.  on  the  I2th 
instant,  the  mainmast  was  observed  to  be  on 
fire,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that 
the  flames  were  arrested.  The  mainyard  was 


56  The  Old  Navy. 

set  on  fire  by  burning  embers,  but  fortunately 
was  put  out  by  a  party  of  soldiers  and  two  sea 
men  headed  by  the  chief  mate  going  aloft  with 
wet  blankets.  Had  it  gone,  nothing  could 
have  saved  us.  The  decks  were  cut  away,  di 
viding  the  engine-room  from  the  mainmast, 
which  assisted  materially  in  arresting  the  fire, 
as  we  were  enabled  to  pour  tons  of  water  upon 
the  iron  bulk-head  and  coal-bunkers.  This,  to 
gether  with  wet  blankets,  kept  the  fire  from  go 
ing  beyond  the  first  compartment.  At  two 
o'clock  the  flames  were  arrested  and  driven 
back  inch  by  inch,  but  not  until  the  whole  of 
that  part  of  the  ship  was  destroyed,  from  the 
engine-room  to  the  stern.  Our  deliverance  is 
one  of  the  greatest  miracles  on  record. 

"  To  convey  an  idea  of  this  awful  catastro 
phe  is  impossible.  It  may  be  imagined,  but 
never  described.  At  four  o'clock  the  danger 
appeared  to  be  principally  over,  and  half  past 
five  the  fire  was  completely  out.  About  this 
time  I  went  with  a  party  of  men  to  pump  the 
water  out  of  the  fore  part  of  the  ship.  The 
after-hole  contained  eighteen  feet  of  water  ;  a 
heavy  sea  was  running,  and  the  ponderous  iron 
water  tanks  were  hurled  from  side  to  side  mak 
ing  a  noise  like  the  roar  of  cannon.  At  this 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  57 

time  the  sea  was  rushing  in  at  the  stern,  where 
it  had  been  damaged  by  the  explosion,  when 
pumps  were  manned,  and  buckets  rigged,  and 
all  hands  went  to  work  cheerfully  to  empty  the 
ship,  being  apprehensive  that  we  had  only 
escaped  the  fire  to  be  swallowed  up  in  the 
mighty  deep.  No  pen  can  describe  our  feel 
ings  the  morning  after  the  fire,  having  been 
saved  from  the  awful  death  that  stared  us  in 
the  face,  and  as  far  as  short-sighted  mortal 
could  see  were  confronted  by  an  equally  hor 
rible  death. 

"  Having  time  to  reflect  I  thought  of  the 
poor  unfortunate  women  and  children  who  had 
been  exposed  in  an  open  boat  all  night,  with 
scarcely  any  clothing  save  that  of  a  blanket 
each,  with  a  heavy  sea  on,  and  waves  continu 
ally  passing  over  the  boat.  My  suspense  at 
this  moment  was  awful,  but  at  six  o'clock  I  was 
gratified  with  a  sight  of  the  boat  and  saw  that 
all  were  alive.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  ladies 
came  on  board,  and  it  was  a  joyful  meeting. 
We  offered  our  humble  and  sincere  thanks  to 
the  Almighty  for  His  wonderful  mercy  ex 
tended  to  us,  and  preserving  all  from  the  awful 
death  that  threatened  us  by  fire." 

From  Port  Louis  the  Powhatan  had  an  un- 


58  The  Old  Navy. 

eventful  run  to  Acheen,  Sumatra,  where  the 
ship  was  visited  by  a  number  of  natives,  includ 
ing  an  influential  rajah,  who  expressed  partic 
ular  interest  and  delight  for  the  Powhataris 
band.  Our  officers  made  visits  on  shore  and 
found  that  the  natives  had  not  forgotten  the 
chastisement  of  the  Qualla  Battooans  of  Su 
matra  administered  twenty-eight  years  before, 
by  the  sailing  frigate  Potomac,  Captain  John 
Downes.  The  presence  of  the  Powhatan  fly 
ing  the  Stars  and  Stripes  at  her  gaff,  recalled 
the  incident  to  the  natives  vividly,  and  they 
discussed  the  merits  of  the  affair  pro  and  con 
at  some  length  with  the  Americans.  On  April 
25th,  while  running  near  the  town  of  Mallacca, 
the  Powhatan  lost  her  pilot  in  a  most  unex 
pected  manner.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  was  in 
charge  of  the  deck,  when  about  5  P.M.  the 
Malay  pilot  Don  Asba  threw  himself  into  the 
sea.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  promptly  ordered 
the  engines  to  be  stopped  and  a  boat  lowered. 
By  the  time  this  was  done  the  pilot  was  fully  a 
mile  astern.  By  hard  rowing  the  boat  reached 
him  in  time,  and  he  was  brought  back  ;  so  that 
in  twenty-five  minutes  the  frigate  was  again 
underway.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  quaintly 
remarks  :  "  What  could  have  prompted  the  poor 


Off  for  the  China  Sea.  59 

Malay  pilot  to  take  to  the  water  seems  a  mys 
tery  ?  " 

The  Powhatan  left  Singapore  May  4th, 
where  she  had  stopped  for  a  few  days,  and  fa 
vored  with  smooth  seas  and  clear  weather,  she 
sped  on  toward  Hong  Kong,  skirting  the  coast 
of  Cochin  China,  frequently  having  land  in 
sight.  She  reached  Hong  Kong  May  i2th, 
where  the  San  Jacinto  was  found  flying  the 
broad  pennant  of  Captain  Josiah  Tattnall,  who 
afterward  transferred  his  flag  to  the  Powhatan. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

ON   THE    SCENE    OF    TROUBLE. 

THE  Powhatan  arrived  in  eastern  waters, 
just  at  the  time  England  and  France 
were  at  war  with  China,  and  were  endeavoring 
to  extort  a  treaty  at  the  cannon's  mouth.  Al 
though  present  as  a  neutral,  the  American  flag 
ship  was  destined  to  play  an  important  part  in 
the  war,  while  Flag  Officer  Tattnall,  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard,  and  some  of  their  men,  became 
involved  in  a  heroic  episode  that  led  to  inter 
national  complications.  Shortly  before  the 
Powhatan  s  arrival  the  allied  forces  had  bom 
barded  Canton,  and  had  captured  Yeh,  the 
Viceroy.  As  showing  the  spirit  of  the  Chinese 
officials  toward  the  "  foreign  devils  "  at  this 
time,  the  following  account  of  Yeh's  capture  is 
given  from  Trenchard's  papers. 

After  the  city  had  been  stormed,  an  expedi- 
60 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  61 

tion  was  organized,  headed  by  Mr.  Parkes, 
afterwards  Sir  Harry  Parkes,  to  capture  the 
Viceroy.  "  On  Tuesday  an  expedition  into  the 
interior  of  the  city  was  planned  and  executed. 
Mr.  Parkes  had  heard  of  Yeh's  whereabouts 
and  was  anxious  to  catch  him.  His  Excel 
lency  was  reported  to  be  residing  at  the  Ut 
Wa  College  in  the  very  centre  of  the  city ;  but 
on  arriving  there,  it  was  found  that  he  had  de 
camped  the  previous  Thursday  to  the  Lieuten 
ant-General's  yamun  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  old  city.  This  information  was  given  by 
a  Chinese  officer,  who  refused  to  point  out  the 
yamun,  but  depending  on  two  Chinese  guides, 
whom  he  had  engaged  by  promise  of  reward, 
Mr.  Parkes  made  his  way  to  the  place  indi 
cated,  under  the  protection  of  about  one  hun 
dred  blue-jackets,  commanded  by  Commodore 
Elliott,  and  Captain  Key.  Bursting  open  the 
doors  of  the  yamun,  the  retreating  figure  of 
the  High  Commissioner  was  the  signal  for  a 
general  rush  after  him,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  protestations  of  an  officious  mandarin,  who 
endeavored  to  divert  the  chase  from  the  Yeh 
to  himself  by  shouting  out  'Me,  Yeh!'  the 
stout  Viceroy  soon  found  himself  in  the  em 
brace  of  Captain  Key  and  the  Commodore's 


62  The  Old  Navy. 

coxswain,    who    had   outrun    the   others,    and 
ranged  up  one  on  each  side  of  him. 

"  He  was  brought  back  and  conducted  to  his 
seat  and  was  soon  identified  by  many  Chinese, 
who  were  marched  in  singly,  and  asked  by  Mr. 
Parkes  who  the  gentleman  was.  They  all  in 
stantly  fell  down  on  their  knees  saying  he  was 
the  Governor  General.  If  he  had  had  six 
headsmen  in  his  train,  and  if  we  all  had  stood 
kidnapped  before  him,  he  could  not  have  held 
his  head  more  haughtily.  It  was  a  huge,  sen 
sual,  flat  face.  The  profile  is  nearly  straight 
from  the  eyebrow  to  the  chin.  He  wears  his 
mandarin  cap,  his  red  button  and  his  peacock's 
tail,  but  in  other  respects  only  the  ordinary 
quilted  blue  tunic,  and  loose  breeches,  the 
usual  winter  wear  of  this  part  of  China.  He 
seated  himself  in  an  armchair,  and  some  in 
ferior  mandarins,  who  pressed  in  afterward, 
stood  around  and  made  a  little  court  for  him. 
Our  officers,  who  filled  the  room,  passed  to 
and  fro  upon  their  duties,  and  of  course  re 
frained  from  staring  at  him.  Yet  no  one  could 
look  upon  that  face  without  feeling  that  he  is 
in  the  presence  of  an  extraordinary  man.  There 
was  a  ferocity  about  that  restless,  roving  eye, 
which  almost  made  you  shrink  from  it.  It  is 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  63 

the  expression  of  a  fierce  and  angry,  but  not 
courageous  animal ;  while  the  long  nails  of 
his  dirty  fingers  are  trembling  against  the 
table,  and  his  eyes  are  ranging  into  every  part 
of  the  room  in  search  of  every  face.  His 
pose  of  dignity  is  too  palpably  simulated  to 
inspire  respect  even  if  you  could  forget  his 
deeds.  But  no  one  can  look  upon  him  with 
contempt. 

"  The  two  admirals  and  the  generals  now  ar 
rived,  and  after  some  salutations  which  were 
naturally  more  embarrassing  to  the  captors 
than  to  the  captured,  Yeh  was  asked  whether 
Mr.  Cooper,  who  had  been  captured  by  the 
Chinese,  was  still  living.  Yeh  burst  forth  into 
a  loud  laugh,  which  sounded  to  everyone  pres 
ent  as  though  he  were  recollecting,  and  enjoying 
the  recollections,  of  this  poor  man's  sufferings. 
When  he  had  finished  his  cachinnations  he  re 
plied  :  '  I  can't  recollect  about  this  man,  but  I 
will  make  inquiries  to-morrow,  and  if  he  can  be 
found,  you  shall  have  him/  The  disgust  was 
at  that  moment  so  great  (for  many  in  the  room 
had  known  and  esteemed  poor  Cooper)  that 
if  the  audience  could  have  decided  the  matter, 
Yeh  would  have  been  taken  out  and  hanged. 
He  was  told  that  his  answer  was  not  courteous, 


64  The  Old  Navy. 

and  he  replied  that  it  was,  at  any  rate,  the  only 
answer  he  should  give." 

From  this  description  of  Yeh  it  will  be  seen 
how  bitter  was  the  feeling  of  the  Chinese  offi 
cials  against  foreigners,  and  what  a  treacher 
ous  and  cruel  foe  the  Americans,  English,  and 
French  had  to  deal  with.  The  capture  of 
Canton  was  followed  by  the  bombardment  and 
capture  of  the  forts  guarding  the  mouth  of  the 
Peiho  River,  which  flowed  through  Tientsin, 
the  seaport  of  Peking,  and  flowed  into  the 
Gulf  of  Pechili.  Finding  that  it  was  impossi 
ble  to  prevent  the  advance  of  the  English  and 
French  upon  Peking,  the  Imperial  Commis 
sioners,  on  July  12,  1858,  signed  a  treaty  which 
was  to  be  sent  to  England  for  ratification,  and 
was  to  be  returned  to  Peking  on  or  before 
June  26,  1859.  I*1  the  WOI"ds  of  England's 
representative,  Lord  Elgin,  the  concessions 
granted  by  China  amounted  "to  a  revolution, 
and  involved  the  surrender  of  some  of  the  most 
cherished  principles  of  the  traditional  policy 
of  the  Empire.  They  had  been  extorted, 
therefore,  from  its  fears." 

Such  being  the  case,  the  opinion  was  freely 
expressed  by  American  and  European  resi 
dents  in  China,  that  the  Chinese  would  resort 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  65 

to  treachery,  if  need  be,  to  prevent  the  final 
ratification  of  these  treaties,  and  fears  were 
expressed  that  the  British  and  French  would 
be  attacked  if  they  attempted  to  reach  Peking. 
The  United  States,  also,  at  that  time,  was  en 
deavoring  to  obtain  a  treaty  from  China  by 
peaceful  diplomacy,  and  the  American  squad 
ron  on  the  station  had  been  reinforced,  in  an 
ticipation  of  trouble. 

The  Powhatan  left  Hong  Kong  May  2ist, 
and  early  on  the  morning  of  May  26th,  while 
in  thick,  heavy  weather,  she  suddenly  came 
upon  a  large  steamer,  south  bound.  It  proved 
to  be  the  United  States  warship  Mississippi, 
Captain  Nicholson,  who  had  just  left  the 
Peiho,  which  had  been  seized  by  the  Eng 
lish  and  French  forces.  Parting  company  with 
the  Mississippi,  the  Powhatan  that  afternoon 
anchored  below  Shanghai.  Stopping  here  only 
long  enough  to  recoal  at  the  rate  of  three  dol 
lars  a  ton,  she  resumed  her  course  for  the  Peiho, 
arriving  there  June  7th,  where  the  United 
States  warship  Minnesota  was  found.  A  num 
ber  of  the  Minnesota  s  officers,  including  Cap 
tain  DuPont,  visited  the  Powhatan  during 
the  day ;  but  a  damper  was  thrown  over  the 
pleasant  occasion  by  an  accident  that  resulted 


66  The  Old  Navy. 

fatally.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Cap 
tain  DuPont  announced  his  intention  of  re 
turning  to  his  ship,  and  his  gig  was  manned 
and  placed  in  readiness  for  him.  At  this  mo 
ment  a  heavy  squall  of  wind  and  rain  came 
up,  which  induced  him  to  postpone  his  depart 
ure  until  it  blew  over.  The  crew  of  the  gig 
was  directed  to  get  out  and  drop  their  boat 
astern,  but  before  this  could  be  done  she 
was  capsized,  and  her  men — six  in  all — were 
thrown  into  the  water,  two  of  them  being 
drowned.  Several  days  afterward,  while  haul 
ing  out  a  launch,  one  of  the  davits  in  the  Pow- 
hatan  broke,  precipitating  the  boat  and  its 
crew  into  the  river,  from  which  they  were  res 
cued  only  with  great  difficulty. 

After  visiting  the  Peiho  forts,  the  Powhatan 
touched  at  various  ports  in  China  and  Japan, 
and  on  June  2Oth  of  the  following  year  she 
again  appeared  in  the  Gulf  of  Pechili,  having 
on  board  John  E.  Ward  and  suite,  who  repre 
sented  the  United  States  in  the  pending  nego 
tiations.  The  fear  that  the  Chinese  would 
resort  to  treachery,  as  will  be  seen,  proved  to 
be  well  founded.  Flag-Officer  Tattnall  found 
the  allied  French  and  English  forces  collected 
there,  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Hope. 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  67 

The  force  consisted  of  several  English  and 
French  cruisers  which  were  too  heavy  to  cross 
the  outer  bar,  and  the  following  gunboats  : 
Nimrod,  Cormorant,  Lee,  Opossum,  Haiighty, 
Forrester,  Banterer,  Starling,  Clover,  Janus, 
and  Kestrel.  Each  of  them  carried  two  guns, 
1 8-pound  howitzers,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Nimrod  and  the  Cormorant,  which  carried  six 
guns  each.  There  was  also  a  strong  detach 
ment  of  marines  under  Colonel  Lemon.  The 
crews  of  these  gunboats  amounted  to  about 
five  hundred,  officers  and  men. 

The  Peiho  or  North  River  is  a  short  and 
rapid  stream,  cutting  a  channel  through  the 
alluvial  plain  of  the  Pechili.  As  it  approaches 
the  sea,  it  flows  for  the  last  five  miles  through 
a  low,  Mat  country,  which  is  scarcely  above  the 
level  of  the  river,  and  as  the  stream  spreads 
out  at  high  water  it  loses  much  of  its  velocity. 
A  hard  clay  bank  forms  the  bar  on  which,  at 
low  tide,  there  are  only  twenty-four  inches  of 
water,  leaving  broad  stretches  of  mud-flats  on 
each  side.  The  great  height  of  the  tides  on 
this  coast,  however,  increase  the  depth  of  water 
on  the  bar  at  high  tide  to  eleven  feet,  and  con 
ceal  the  vast  tracts  of  mud-flats  and  sea-reeds 
which  grow  there.  Less  than  two  miles  from 


68  The  Old  Navy. 

the  bar,  where  the  banks  of  the  river  rise  ab 
ruptly  to  a  considerable  height,  the  Chinese  had 
constructed  mud  and  stone  forts  on  the  site  of 
the  fortifications  destroyed  by  the  English  and 
French  the  year  before. 

Being  erected  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
they  presented  a  formidable  line  of  defence. 
On  the  left  bank,  looking  up  stream,  were  three 
mounds  of  earth,  thirty  feet  high,  well  faced 
with  solid  masonry.  On  the  top  was  a  level 
space  where  three  guns  were  mounted  on  three 
of  the  four  sides.  From  this  elevated  plat 
form,  the  guns  pointed  down  at  the  river  and 
could  be  fought  in  comparative  security  from 
anything  like  a  horizontal  fire.  Round  these 
three  mounds  heavy  mud-batteries,  twenty-two 
feet  high,  were  constructed  so  as  to  protect  the 
basements  of  the  mounds  from  a  breaching  fire. 
These  mud-batteries  mounted  guns  that  were 
perfectly  casemated,  and  were  connected  into 
one  great  work  by  a  series  of  curtains,  pierced 
like  the  bastions  for  casemated  guns,  and  cov 
ered  from  a  flank  attack  by  wet  and  dry  ditches. 
This  fortification  was  called  the  Grand  Battery 
and  was  pierced  for  fifty  guns. 

With  the  exception  of  the  guns  mounted  on 
each  of  the  three  mounds,  every  embrasure  was 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  69 

fitted  with  a  mantlet.  These  mantlets  were 
skilful  inventions  by  means  of  which  the  em 
brasures  in  the  batteries  were  concealed  from 
the  view  of  an  attacking  party.  That  the  slow- 
going  Chinese  should  have  adopted  this  im 
proved  idea — which  seems  to  have  first  been 
introduced  at  the  siege  of  Sebastopol,  only  a 
few  years  before — has  been  urged  as  an  evi 
dence  that  these  forts,  if  not  constructed  by 
Russians,  were  built  under  the  direction  of 
Russian  officers.  The  mantlets  were  stout 
wooden  frames,  covered  with  rattan,  so  as  to 
be  proof  against  musket  balls.  They  were 
worked  on  hinges,  fitted  on  the  outer  and  lower 
edge  of  the  embrasures,  and  were  lowered 
down  or  triced  up,  as  the  occasion  required,  by 
means  of  lines  leading  upward  through  the 
parapet  on  each  side  of  the  guns.  When  thus 
closed  it  was  exceedingly  difficult  for  an  enemy, 
even  when  the  parapets  were  not  enveloped  in 
smoke,  to  distinguish  the  embrasure  from  the 
solid  wall  of  the  battery. 

The  exact  range  of  the  position  vessels  must 
take  in  attacking  the  fort  had  been  obtained 
long  before,  and  a  gun  was  loaded  and  aimed 
before  the  mantlet  was  lowered,  thus  revealing 
it  to  the  enemy.  When  all  was  ready  the  mant- 


70  The  Old  Navy. 

let  was  dropped  in  a  twinkling,  the  gun  run 
out,  the  shot  fired,  and  the  recoil  sent  the  gun 
back  again  ;  and  the  same  action  drew  up  the 
mantlet.  This  could  be  done  so  quickly  that 
it  was  almost  impossible  for  an  enemy  to  tell 
out  of  which  embrasure  the  gun  had  been  fired. 
Above  and  below  the  Grand  Battery  were  two 
waspish-looking  flanking  forts,  each  of  which 
had  a  mound  similar  to  the  Grand  Battery  and 
was  protected  by  bastions.  They  had  three 
tiers  of  guns  and  were  connected  with  the  main 
fortifications  by  earthworks.  On  the  right 
hand,  back  of  the  river,  stood  another  series 
of  earthworks  constructed  on  the  same  general 
plan  of  the  Grand  Battery,  mounting  about 
forty  guns.  All  these  elaborate  preparations 
for  the  defence  of  the  river,  of  course,  were  un 
known  at  that  time  to  the  English  and  French. 
As  an  additional  defence,  the  Chinese  had 
constructed  with  extraordinary  skill  three  lines 
of  barricades  across  the  river.  The  first  one 
consisted  of  a  single  row  of  iron  stakes,  each 
with  a  tripod  base  nine  inches  in  circumfer 
ence.  The  top  of  each  of  these  stakes  was 
pointed,  besides  which  there  was  a  sharp  spur 
which  could  penetrate  the  hull  of  a  vessel  as 
cending  the  river.  These  stakes  were  driven 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  71 

so  that  their  tops  were  covered  at  high  water. 
This  barrier  was  about  550  yards  from  the 
centre  of  the  Grand  Battery,  and  about  900 
yards  from  the  fort  opposite.  About  450 
yards  above  this  was  another  barrier,  which 
consisted  of  a  rope  eight  inches  in  diameter, 
stretched  across  the  river,  and  two  heavy  chain 
cables.  They  were  twelve  feet  apart  and  were 
hove  in  as  tight  as  possible.  These  cables 
were  supported  at  a  distance  of  every  thirty 
feet  by  heavy  spars,  each  one  of  which  was 
carefully  moored  up  and  down  stream.  The 
third  barrier,  and  perhaps  the  most  formidable 
one  of  all,  consisted  of  two  massive  rafts  of 
rough  timber,  lashed  and  cross-lashed  in  all 
possible  directions  with  ropes  and  chains. 
They  were  anchored  within  a  few  feet  of  each 
other,  so  that  a  vessel  in  passing  would  have 
to  describe  the  figure  of  the  letter  S.  The 
opening  between  the  rafts  was  still  further  pro 
tected  by  a  circular  line  of  iron  sticks  which 
were  covered  at  high  water. 

ct> 

The  allied  squadrons  arrived  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Peiho  River  on  the  night  of  June  20, 1 859. 
The  sound  of  escaping  steam  from  the  steam 
ers,  and  the  clattering  noise  of  chain  cables 
running  through  the  hawse  holes  in  the  stillness 


72  The  Old  Navy. 

of  the  hour,  aroused  the  Chinese  from  their 
sleep.  But  they  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the 
least  disturbed  by  the  arrival  of  such  a  large 
naval  force  of  "  red-headed  Barbarians."  When 
morning  broke  they  gazed  upon  the  vessels 
with  stolid  indifference,  and  then  went  about 
their  usual  work.  Nothing  about  the  place 
indicated  that  unusual  preparations  for  oppos 
ing  the  entrance  of  a  naval  force  in  the  river 
had  been  made.  Obstructions  were  across  the 
river,  it  is  true,  but  these,  the  officials  declared, 
were  only  to  keep  out  rebels  and  pirates,  who 
recently  had  been  giving  the  Government 
much  trouble.  All  was  as  quiet  and  sleepy  as 
the  most  enthusiastic  admirers  of  Chinese  river 
scenery  could  desire. 

From  the  decks  of  the  ships  the  course  of 
the  Peiho  River  could  be  traced  over  the  flat 
country  far  into  the  interior  by  the  masts  and 
sails  of  junks  that  moved  sluggishly  up  and 
down  the  stream.  The  straggling  village  of 
Taku,  glimpses  of  which  could  be  had  behind 
the  forts,  seemed  to  be  pursuing  its  usual  lazy, 
monotonous  existence  as  a  fishing  hamlet. 
The  tower  of  Little  Temple,  from  which  the 
Governor-General  of  Pechili  had  fled  the  year 
before,  with  its  succession  of  quaint,  peaked 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  73 

roofs,  was  seen  just  beyond  the  fort  on  the  left. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  experience  of  foreign 
ers,  a  Chinese  military  post  was  without  the 
usual  lavish  display  of  flags  and  tents  denoting 
the  presence  of  troops.  A  yellow,  triangular 
flag  floated  from  each  of  the  two  mounds,  and  a 
few  officials  of  low  rank  were  observed  moving 
around  the  batteries  as  unconcernedly  as  if  the 
"  foreign  devils  "  were  thousands  of  miles  away, 
and  small  bodies  of  poorly-armed  and  shabbily 
dressed  militia  paraded  through  the  works. 
Few  of  the  guns  in  the  embrasures,  owing  to 
the  deceitful  appearance  of  the  mantlets,  could 
be  seen. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  British  Admiral, 
on  arriving  off  the  bar,  was  to  send  a  boat 
ashore  to  communicate  with  the  commander  of 
the  forts,  and  to  request  that  the  barriers  be 
removed,  so  that  the  gunboats  might  proceed 
up  the  river.  The  officer  landed  with  this  mes 
sage  but  was  not  allowed  to  go  further  than 
the  beach,  where  he  was  met  by  an  official  of 
low  rank  who  refused  to  remove  the  obstruc 
tions,  and  said  that  the  British  should  meet 
the  proper  representatives  of  the  Emperor  at 
another  mouth  of  the  Peiho  River,  ten  miles 
to  the  north.  The  official  concluded  by  saying 


74  The  Old  Navy. 

that  he  acted  entirely  upon  his  own  responsi 
bility,  and  that  there  were  no  higher  officers 
at  hand.  So  far  there  was  nothing  to  excite 
Admiral  Hope's  suspicion  of  treachery,  for 
everything  had  been  conducted  in  an  entirely 
good-natured  way  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese, 
and  the  best  of  feeling  was  shown.  Exasper 
ated  at  being  balked  in  his  friendly  visit  to 
the  capital,  Admiral  Hope  wrote  the  authori 
ties  saying,  that  if  the  obstructions  were  not 
removed  by  the  evening  of  June  24th,  he  would 
proceed  to  remove  them  himself. 

While  matters  were  in  this  condition,  Mr. 
Ward,  after  consultation  with  Flag-Officer 
Tattnall,  decided  to  remove  up  the  river  in  the 
Toey-Wan,  as  if  ignorant  of  the  refusal  on  the 
part  of  the  Chinese  to  allow  the  English  and 
French  to  pass.  The  Toey-Wan  was  a  small 
merchant  steamer  which  had  been  chartered 
for  the  occasion  by  the  Americans,  as  the 
Powhatan  was  too  large  a  vessel  to  navigate 
the  shallow  waters  in  those  parts.  Mr.  Ward 
determined  that  if  the  forts  fired  across  the  bow 
of  his  vessel  he  would  anchor  and  communicate, 
but  if  they  fired  into  his  vessel,  which  was  un 
armed,  he  would  retire.  At  n  A.M.,  June  24th, 
the  Toey-  Wan  steamed  though  the  British  and 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  75 

French  squadrons  without  communicating  with 
them,  and  pushed  up  towards  the  barriers. 

At  that  time  the  forts  seemed  to  be  entirely 
deserted,  not  a  man  being  seen  nor  a  gun  in 
an  embrasure,  and  although  there  were  many 
flagstaff's  not  a  flag  was  visible.  When  the 
Toey-Wan  had  approached  within  three  hun 
dred  yards  of  the  first  barrier,  she  suddenly 
received  a  severe  blow  which  made  her  tremble 
from  stem  to  stern.  It  was  soon  after  ascer 
tained  that  she  had  run  on  the  treacherous 
steep  bank  of  the  river  that  was  visible  at 
low  tide,  but  was  entirely  concealed  by  the 
murky  waters  of  the  stream  at  high  water. 
Every  effort  to  back  her  off  was  unavail 
ing,  while  the  fast-falling  tide  made  her  posi 
tion  extremely  critical,  for  not  only  was  she 
entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  batteries,  but  the 
falling  water  was  leaving  her  partially  on  the 
edge  of  the  bank,  and  when  the  tide  had  en 
tirely  receded,  the  probability  was  that  she 
would  tumble  off  the  bank  and  fall  into  the 
water  upside-down. 

Observing  the  difficulty  the  American 
steamer  was  in,  Admiral  Hope  sent  the  Plover 
to  her  aid,  with  a  message  that  if  Mr.  Ward  de 
sired,  he  could  hoist  the  American  flag  over 


76  The  Old  Navy. 

her.  The  Plover  attempted  to  tow  the  Toey- 
Wan  off,  but  the  cable  parted.  Upon  this  the 
Admiral  dispatched  his  flag-lieutenant  with  an 
other  gunboat,  but  even  their  combined  efforts 
were  unavailing.  While  the  Toey-  Wan  was  in 
this  critical  position,  Captain  Tattnall  sent 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  and  the  interpreters  to 
the  nearest  fort  to  inform  the  officer  in  com 
mand  that  the  American  Minister  was  on  board 
the  stranded  steamer.  In  his  journal,  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  says  :  "  I  was  dispatched  in 
the  barge  by  Flag-Officer  Tattnall  as  his  rep 
resentative,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Williams,  and 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  Martin  and  Atchinson,  our 
interpreters,  the  former  as  the  representative 
of  Mr.  Ward,  to  communicate  with  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  fort.  We  passed  inside  of 
the  lines  of  the  stakes  and  landed  at  the  ex 
tremity  of  a  mud  jetty,  running  out  of  the  cen 
tre  bastion  on  the  left,  and  below  the  lower 
barrier.  We  were  received  by  a  guard  of 
twenty  men  armed  with  spears,  double  swords, 
and  long  knives.  They  were  rather  ragged  in 
appearance.  Mr.  Martin  and  myself  held  an 
interview  with  the  officer.  It  was  in  substance 
that  we  had  come  here  for  the  purpose  of  go 
ing  up  the  Peiho  River  to  Peking  with  our 


On  the  Scene  of  Trouble.  77 

minister,  who  had  been  directed  to  see  the 
Emperor,  and  to  deliver  to  him  in  person  a 
letter  from  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  to  ratify  the  treaty.  The  commissioners 
at  Shanghai  said  there  would  be  difficulty  in 
passing  up  the  river  to  Peking,  and  that  instead 
of  finding  it  clear  we  would  meet  obstructions 
placed  in  the  channel.  We  requested  that 
these  obstructions  be  removed,  so  that  we 
could  pass  up  the  river.  The  mandarin,  or 
head  man  of  the  party,  stated  that  the  barriers 
could  not  be  removed  ;  that  they  had  been 
placed  there  to  protect  the  villages  against  the 
rebels  and  pirates,  and  that  any  attempt  made 
to  remove  them  would  be  resisted,  and  the  forts 
would  open  fire."  Lieutenant  Trenchard  re 
turned  with  this  answer.  The  Toey-  Wan  was 
finally  released  from  her  perilous  position,  and 
she  moved  down  the  river  and  took  her  station 
near  the  outer  bar. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BATTLE    OF    THE    PEIHO    FORTS. 

A  HEAVY  rain  and  a  gale  of  wind  pre 
vented  much  from  being  done  on  June 
22d,  so  that  it  was  not  until  the  night  of  the  23d 
that  all  the  British  gunboats  were  taken  across 
the  bar.  Early  on  the  morning  of  June  24,  seven 
hundred  British  marines  from  Canton,  under 
Colonel  Lemon,  were  placed  on  board  a  number 
of  junks  and  anchored  near  the  bar  to  be  held 
as  a  reserve  force  and  a  storming  party,  for 
in  spite  of  the  pacific  appearance  of  the  forts 
Admiral  Hope  was  proceeding  with  all  the 
caution  of  an  experienced  officer.  Some  un 
easiness  had  been  felt  among  the  British  by 
rumors  that  Russians  were  hovering  near  the 
forts,  and  probably  would  assist  the  Chinese  if 
an  attack  was  made.  It  was  well  known  that 
a  number  of  high  Russian  officials  were  in 

78 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  79 

Peking  at  that  time,  but  whether  any  consider 
able  number  of  Russian  troops  were  clandes 
tinely  employed  by  the  Chinese,  was  long  an 
open  question  in  the  minds  of  the  British  pub 
lic.  Among  the  British  seamen  and  marines, 
however,  the  prospects  of  a  brush  with  the 
Chinese  was  anticipated  with  delight,  which 
even  the  ominous  transforming  of  the  Giro- 
mandel  and  the  Nosogary,  the  French  gun 
boats  into  hospital  ships  and  anchored  within 
convenient  reach,  did  not  allay. 

On  the  night  of  June  24th,  Admiral  Hope 
sent  three  boats  up  the  river  under  the  com 
mand  of  Captain  Willes  of  the  Chesapeake  for 
the  purpose  of  removing  the  barriers.  The 
boats,  passed  between  the  iron  stakes  constitut 
ing  the  first  barrier,  where  Captain  Willes  left 
two  of  the  boats  to  attach  explosives  for  the 
purpose  of  blowing  up  the  barrier,  while  he,  in 
a  third  boat,  pushed  on  to  the  third  barrier. 
Here  the  Chinese  sentinels  could  be  seen  walk 
ing  up  and  down,  and  although  the  boats  must 
have  been  seen  by  the  people  in  the  forts  on 
both  banks  of  the  river,  no  attempt  was 
made  to  disturb  them.  Scrambling  over  the 
rafts,  Captain  Willes  was  satisfied  that  it  was 
impossible  for  the  gunboats  to  remove  the  bar- 


8o  The  Old  Navy. 

Her.  Returning  to  the  second  barrier  he  ex 
ploded  his  cylinders  and  made  a  breach  wide 
enough  for  a  vessel  to  pass  through.  At  this 
moment  one  or  two  guns  from  the  fort  were 
fired  giving  him  warning  to  desist,  but  no 
general  alarm  on  shore  was  noticed,  and  the  for 
midable  character  of  the  batteries  was  not  re 
vealed.  Before  morning,  however,  as  the 
British  discovered  the  next  day,  the  Chinese 
had  repaired  the  breach  made  in  the  barrier. 

At  daylight  on  the  following  morning,  June 
25th,  the  same  deceitful  calm  was  maintained 
in  and  around  the  fort.  At  half-past  three  in 
the  morning,  the  boatswains'  whistles  in  the 
allied  squadron  began  their  merry  chirping  and 
sent  all  hands  to  breakfast,  and  by  four  o'clock 
the  gunboats  began  to  take  up  their  prescribed 
positions.  At  this  time  the  flood-tide  was  run 
ning  strong,  flowing  in  a  muddy,  turbid  stream, 
up  a  tortuous  gutter.  Gradually  that  gutter 
became  filled,  and  the  waters,  ruffled  by  a  fresh 
breeze  that  blew  the  foul  smell  toward  the 
forts,  began  to  rise  to  the  level  of  the  mud- 
banks  and  finally  washed  over  them  and  the 
reed-covered  mud-flats,  and  began  to  lap 
against  the  foundations  of  the  massive  forts. 
The  British  began  operations  thus  early,  hop- 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  81 

ing  that  by  the  time  the  flood-tide  had  ceased 
running,  every  vessel  would  be  in  position. 
But  considerable  delay  was  caused  by  the  nar 
rowness  of  the  channel,  and  the  strength  of  the 
breeze,  which  occasioned  considerable  confu 
sion  in  the  manoeuvres  ;  so  that  it  was  not  until 
11.30  A.M.,  or  at  high  water,  that  the  vessels 
were  in  position.  Even  then  there  was  some 
delay  caused  by  the  grounding  of  the  Banterer 
and  the  Starling.  At  two  o'clock,  when  the 
ebb-tide  was  running  strong,  Admiral  Hope, 
with  his  flag  flying  from  the  Plover,  signalled 
the  Opossum  to  remove  an  iron  pile  to  which 
she  had  made  fast.  In  thirty  minutes  the  Opos 
sum  had  wrenched  the  iron  stake  from  its  bed, 
and  the  gunboats,  running  through  the  breach, 
passed  up  to  the  second  barrier  where  they 
were  under  the  guns  of  the  forts  at  point-blank 
range. 

This  was  a  moment  of  intense  excitement. 
Every  eye  was  fixed  upon  the  batteries,  but  the 
same  imperturbable  calm  that  had  been  main 
tained  the  previous  day  was  unbroken.  Just  as 
the  Plover  was  attempting  to  break  through 
the  second  barrier,  however,  a  single  gun  was 
fired  from  the  fort  and  a  moment  later  all  the 
mantlets  were  dropped,  and  forty  heavy  pieces 


82  The  Old  Navy. 

of  artillery  opened  upon  the  little  craft.  At 
that  instant  Admiral  Hope  gave  the  signal, 
"  Engage  the  enemy  as  closely  as  possible," 
and  the  other  gunboats  hastened  to  the  sup 
port  of  their  gallant  leader.  The  enemy's  guns 
had  been  so  well  trained  on  the  space  between 
the  first  and  second  barriers  that  almost  every 
shot  fired  at  the  Plover  and  the  Opossum  took 
effect. 

It  seemed  to  be  the  object  of  the  Chinese  to 
annihilate  the  flagship,  and  within  twenty 
minutes  the  Plover  and  the  Opossum  had  so 
many  killed  and  wounded  that  their  batteries 
were  almost  silenced.  Lieutenant-Comman 
der  Rason,  of  the  Plover,  was  cut  in  two  by 
a  round  shot.  Captain  M'Kenna,  of  the  Ad 
miral's  staff,  was  one  of  the  first  to  be  killed, 
while  the  Admiral  himself  was  seriously  injured 
in  the  thigh.  Whether  or  not  the  gunners  of 
the  fort  were  Chinese  or  Russian  renegades, 
deserters  and  convicts  swept  up  on  the  Sibe 
rian  frontier,  they  fought  with  marvellous  skill, 
and  showed  that  they  had  been  trained  in  the 
most  advanced  ideas  of  European  artillery. 
For  the  first  time  in  Chinese  warfare  the  guns 
were  so  arranged  as  to  concentrate  their  fire  on 
any  given  point  within  the  barriers.  Further- 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  83 

more,  there  were  reserved  supplies  of  guns  and 
carnages.  This  was  shown  by  the  ease  with 
which  a  dismounted  gun  was  again  firing  away 
from  a  certain  embrasure,  for  the  English 
gun-boats,  although  firing  at  a  disadvantage, 
planted  their  shot  in  the  embrasures  with  con 
siderable  skill. 

It  was  at  this  critical  period  of  the  fight  that 
the  Americans  rendered  assistance  to  the  sorely 
tried  British,  which,  so  long  as  the  British  na 
tion  remembers,  the  affair  of  the  Peiho  Fort 
will  not  be  forgotten.  Captain  Tattnall,  and 
the  other  American  officers  in  the  Toey-  Wan, 
had  been  witnessing  the  treacherous  attack 
upon  the  allied  squadron  with  feelings  of  anger 
and  mortification.  Finally,  observing  the  des 
perate  condition  of  the  British  Admiral,  Tatt 
nall  exclaimed  :  "  Blood  is  thicker  than  water  !  " 
"  And  he  'd  be  damned  if  he  'd  stand  by  and  see 
white  men  butchered  before  his  eyes,"  wrote 
Trenchard  in  his  journal.  "  No,  sir,"  he  said 
to  Trenchard,  "  Old  Tattnall  isn't  that  kind, 
sir.  This  is  the  cause  of  humanity.  Is  that 
boat  ready  ?  Tell  the  men  there  is  no  need  of 
side  arms."  Knowing  that  it  was  impossible 
for  the  British  reserves  to  pull  against  the  swift 
ebb-tide  to  the  relief  of  their  sorely -tried 


84  The  Old  Navy. 

brethren  he  sent  an  officer  to  Colonel  Lemon, 
offering  the  services  of  the  Toey-  Wan  in  tow 
ing  the  British  boats  to  the  scene  of  action. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  boat  was  seen  to 
emerge  out  of  the  smoke  of  battle  and  pull 
with  desperate  energy  toward  the  Americans. 
When  she  came  alongside,  a  midshipman 
quickly  mounted  the  man  ropes,  and  proceed 
ing  aft  delivered  a  despatch  to  Flag-Officer 
Tattnall.  The  perusal  of  this  note  excited  him 
at  once,  and  he  straightway  got  into  his  barge 
with  Lieutenant  Trenchard  to  pay  an  "  official 
visit,"  as  he  expressed  it,  to  the  British  Admiral. 
Away  went  the  barge  speeding  over  the  bright 
glancing  waters,  followed  by  the  English  boat, 
both  craft  being  soon  lost  in  the  dense  smoke 
of  battle.  As  Tattnall  was  passing  a  gunboat 
that  was  badly  cut  up,  a  shot  plowed  through 
the  American  colors,  and  left  them  a  mere  col 
lection  of  long  streamers.  The  British  crews 
cheered  as  they  saw  the  boat  pass.  Scarcely 
had  the  cheers  been  given,  before  another  shot 
passed  through  the  barge's  quarter,  instantly 
killing  the  coxswain,  Hart,  and  wounding 
Trenchard,  besides  making  a  complete  wreck  of 
the  boat.  It  was  only  with  the  greatest  diffi 
culty  that  the  barge  could  be  kept  afloat  long 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  85 

enough  to  reach  the  side  of  the  British  flagship. 
On  the  quarter-deck  Tattnall  found  the  British 
Admiral  sitting  on  a  camp-stool  desperately 
wounded,  but  still  directing  the  fight.  For 
ward,  there  was  an  8-inch  gun,  with  only 
one  or  two  men  near  it,  the  rest  of  the  crew 
having  been  killed  or  wounded  and  the  reserves 
exhausted. 

Tattnall  exchanged  a  few  messages  of  condo 
lence  with  the  Admiral,  saying  to  his  own  boat 
crew  :  "  Meantime,  my  good  fellows,  you  might 
man  that  gun  forward  till  the  boat  is  ready, 
just  as  you  would  on  your  own  ship."  The 
Yankee  tars  went  to  the  gun  and  found  the 
crew  nearly  all  killed  or  disabled.  A  bright 
little  boy,  twelve  or  thirteen  years  old,  offered 
to  supply  them  with  powder.  Laying-to,  they 
loaded,  and  for  nearly  an  hour  fired  the  gun 
and  declared  that  every  shot  hit  the  mark. 
They  were  then  relieved  by  a  boat-load  of  men 
from  another  ship,  and  walking  aft  they  were 
met  by  Lieutenant  Trenchard.  Their  powder- 
begrimed  visages,  and  their  heated  appearance 
showed  plainly  enough  what  kind  of  work  they 
had  been  engaged  in.  Assuming  a  severe 
tone,  and  realizing  the  neutral  position  the 
United  States  had  taken  in  the  matter,  Lieu- 


86  The  Old  Navy. 

tenant  Trenchard  asked  them  what  they  had 
been  doing  ?  One  of  the  brawny  tars  coolly 
replied :  "  Oh,  nothing,  sir,  excepting  lending  a 
friendly  hand  to  them  fellows  forward."  Se 
curing  another  boat  the  Americans  returned 
to  the  Toey-  Wan. 

By  this  time  the  British  were  sorely  pressed 
indeed,  and  they  turned  longing  eyes  toward 
their  reserve  force  of  six  hundred  men,  which 
they  had  no  means  of  bringing  to  battle.  The 
Toey-Wan  was  the  only  vessel  that  could 
possibly  bring  the  junks  up  against  the  rapid 
current.  Realizing  the  situation,  Tattnall  took 
the  junks  in  tow,  and  brought  them  into  action. 
Strictly  speaking,  this  was  a  serious  breach  of 
the  neutrality  of  the  United  States  ;  but  Tatt 
nall  did  not  stop  to  consider  this,  and  knowing 
that  the  British  reserves  could  not  be  brought 
to  the  assistance  of  their  sorely-pressed  admiral 
unless  the  Toey-Wan  took  them  in  tow,  he 
started  boldly  up  the  river  with  six  hundred 
British  reserves,  where  they  were  soon  assist 
ing  their  comrades. 

A  landing  party  of  about  six  hundred  men 
was  placed  ashore  and  stormed  the  Chinese 
forts.  The  British  rushed  madly  down  the 
ditch  filled  with  water  and  made  almost  impass- 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.          87 

able  by  sharp  stakes.  They  threw  their  lad 
ders  across  the  ditch  and  the  sailors  continued 
to  advance  in  spite  of  the  terrific  fire.  Some 
of  them  were  beginning  to  climb  the  breast 
works,  when  suddenly  there  arose  the  cry, 
"  Russians  !  "  The  English  supposed  they 
had  been  fighting  the  Chinese,  but  now  they 
believed  the  fortifications  were  manned  by 
Russians.  This  thoroughly  discouraged  the 
British  tars  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  their 
officers  they  retreated  to  the  beach.  Here  the 
seamen  piled  into  their  boats.  All  this  time 
they  were  exposed  to  a  terrific  fire  from  the 
fort.  There  were  not  enough  boats  to  take 
the  men  off.  It  was  a  terrible  moment,  and 
here  again  Tattnall  earned  the  lasting  gratitude 
of  the  English.  He  got  his  light  draft  tender 
Toey-  Wan  close  into  the  shore,  and  took  the 
fugitives  aboard,  and  in  this  way  many  lives 
were  saved.  In  this  disastrous  affair  the  allied 
forces,  numbering  one  thousand  one  hundred, 
had  eighty-nine  killed  and  three  hundred  and 
forty-five  wounded. 

There  is  a  sequel  to  this  heroic  episode 
which  is  best  told  in  the  words  of  Rear-Admiral 
Trenchard  himself.  When  the  Powhatan  first 
arrived  in  the  Chinese  waters,  the  year  before, 


88  The  Old  Navy. 

England  was  in  the  midst  of  many  difficulties 
in  the  Far  East  and  the  coast  of  China  fairly 
swarmed  with  her  cruisers.  On  reaching 
Hong  Kong  in  the  summer  of  1858  the  Pow- 
hataris  crew  were  allowed  a  twenty-four  hours' 
leave  of  absence  after  their  long  voyage. 
"  Before  the  men  went  ashore,"  said  Trenchard 
"  they  learned  that  it  was  best  to  keep  elbow 
touching  elbow,  and  that  it  was  sometimes  a 
stern  necessity  to  fight.  Each  man  was  sup 
plied  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  current  coin 
to  enable  him  to  have  a  good  time,  and  away 
they  went  as  full  of  the  spirit  of  fun  and  frolic 
as  little  children.  Now,  it  happened  that  half 
the  crew  of  the  British  frigate  Highflyer  also 
was  ashore  on  leave  of  absence,  and  during 
the  afternoon,  when  the  American  boys  were 
feeling  particularly  good  and  had  chartered, 
through  the  agency  of  Bumboat  Sam,  all  the 
sedan  chairs  that  could  be  hunted  up,  and 
formed  a  procession  in  Queen  Street,  that  these 
bold  Britains  happened  along  as  the  sedan 
chairs  were  starting  off  with  two  Yankee  tars 
in  each. 

"  The  novelty  of  the  thing  immediately  took 
the  eye  of  Johnnie  Bull,  and  after  the  chairs 
had  started,  and  trailed  out  nearly  a  quarter  of 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  89 

a  mile  with  the  Chinese  bearers  grunting  their 
usual  ditty  and  the  Yankees  singing  '  The 
Star  Spangled  Banner'  and  other  patriotic 
songs,  the  Englishmen  could  not  refrain  from 
complimenting  the  dash  and  originality  of 
their  cousins.  Perhaps  on  this  occasion  there 
would  have  been  no  collision  had  not  one  of 
the  men  in  the  chairs  shouted  out  to  a  group 

of  English  sailors,  '  Hey  !  You  d d  Lemon 

Squeezers,  parbuckle  yourselves  out  of  our 
way  and  trice  up  the  slack  of  your  lip,  d'ye 
hear.'  That  foolish  sentence  acted  like  a  fire 
brand  in  a  powder  magazine,  and  like  magic 
the  sedan  chair  was  capsized  and  its  cargo 
spilled  out.  A  rush  was  made  by  the  main 
body  of  the  Highflyers,  while  the  Chinamen 
abandoned  their  sedans  and  fled.  The  Yankees 
rallied  around  the  unlucky  tar,  whose  foolish 
remark  in  the  enemy's  camp  had  brought  down 
the  Philistines. 

"  At  it  they  went,  and  a  regular  knock-down 
affair  existed  for  fifteen  minutes.  For  a  while 
the  Americans  made  a  good  show,  but  half  a 
dozen  boat  crews  reinforced  the  English,  and 
the  Yankees  were  forced  to  retire  to  a  tea 
garden  for  reorganization  and  to  repair  dam 
ages.  But  they  soon  again  took  the  street 


90  The  Old  Navy. 

and  made  war  in  regular  orthodox  style  on 
the  Highflyers.  Possibly,  the  fact  that  a  Brit 
ish  war  vessel  of  this  name  having  been  cap 
tured  by  the  United  States  44-gun  frigate 
President  in  the  war  of  1812,  had  something 
to  do  with  the  unusual  desire  of  the  men  of 
this  particular  ship  to  fight.  However  this 
may  be,  the  affair  lasted  most  of  the  afternoon. 
Late  in  the  day  a  strong  detachment  of  Yan 
kees  drove  in  the  Highflyer's  pickets  and 
brought  about  another  regular  engagement. 
The  police  were  powerless  to  interfere  and  a 
company  of  British  soldiers  was  ordered  out 
of  the  garrison  to  assist  in  restoring  order. 

"  The  sight  of  the  redcoats  acted  like  oil  on 
the  fire.  However  little  American  and  Eng 
lish  sailors  loved  each  other,  they  all  entertained 
a  most  cordial  dislike  for  anything  in  the  shape 
of  a  marine  or  a  soldier,  and  the  minute  the 
cry  was  passed  that  the  redcoats  were  coining, 
the  Yankee  and  English  tars,  in  a  twinkling, 
seemed  to  forget  that  they  were  fighting  one 
another  and  joined  forces  against  the  soldiers, 
who  are  the  common  enemies  of  every  true 
seaman.  At  first  the  redcoats  were  severely 
handled,  and  at  last  were  compelled  to  load 
with  shot.  Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  fight 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  91 

against  leaden  balls,  the  American  and  Eng 
lish  seamen  beat  a  precipitate  retreat  around 
the  corner,  and  retiring  to  a  distant  part  of  the 
town  fought  out  their  own  little  difficulty  to 
their  hearts'  content. 

"  Next  morning  the  crew  of  the  Powhatan 
returned  on  board,  and  they  were  a  sight  to 
behold.  Almost  every  man  of  them  had  his 
nose  cock-billed  to  starboard,  and  sprinkled  in 
here  and  there  were  rickety-looking  eyes  that 
would  have  done  credit  even  to  the  famous 
Donnybrook  Fair.  It  took  two  or  three  days 
for  the  men  to  recover  from  the  soreness,  and 
for  some  months  after  that  it  got  to  be  the 
proper  thing  to  thrash  an  English  sailor  on 
sight. 

"  The  character  of  the  feud  was  growing 
worse  and  worse  every  day,  so  that  it  became 
really  necessary  for  the  Powhatan  to  change 
her  port.  After  remaining  in  Hong  Kong 
some  weeks  the  Powhatan  went  to  Penang, 
and  nothing  more  was  seen  of  the  Highflyer 
until  some  months  later,  when  a  squadron  of 
English  light-draught  vessels  was  collected  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Peiho  River  to  escort  the 
British  Ambassador,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Peking.  The  Highflyer  was  the  flagship  of 


92  The  Old  Navy. 

this  squadron.  What  happened  when  the 
English  attacked  the  Chinese  forts,  the  heroic 
visit  of  Captain  Tattnall  to  Admiral  Hope 
and  the  towing"  of  the  British  reserve  into 
action  by  the  Toey-wan  has  just  been  narrated. 
But  nothing  more  was  heard  of  this  until  next 
winter  when  the  Powhatan  ran  down  to  Hong 
Kong.  As  she  steamed  to  her  anchorage,  she 
passed  the  British  flagship  Highflyer.  As 
soon  as  the  Powhatan  was  recognized,  the 
British  band  struck  up  *  Should  auld  acquaint 
ance  be  forgot '  and,  '  Columbia,  the  Gem  of 
the  Ocean.'  Then  the  Highflyer  ran  up  the 
American  flag  and  the  Powhatan  hoisted  the 
British  flag,  and  salutes  were  mutually  fired. 
Then  the  other  British  vessels  in  the  harbor 
hoisted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  saluted. 
Soon  after  the  Russian  frigate  saluted  our 
flag,  and  the  French  warships  also.  The  Eng 
lish  and  American  sailors  made  excursions  on 
shore  together,  and  the  former  always  stood 
ready  to  help  an  American  out  of  a  difficulty. 

''On  Christmas  following,  the  American  and 
English  sailors  made  up  a  purse  of  eight  hun 
dred  dollars,  and  sent  for  Bumboat  Sam  to  have 
him  cater  to  them  in  a  way  that  would  be  an  ever 
lasting  honor  to  his  vocation.  Sam  promised  to 


Battle  of  the  Peiho  Forts.  93 

furnish  everything  in  the  air,  the  ocean,  and  on 
the  earth.  He  was  true  to  his  word,  and  two 
long  tables  were  spread  with  fowl,  fish,  flesh, 
and  fruits.  Afternoon  brought  the  guests 
from  the  English  ship  and  the  viands  were 
flanked  by  the  attacking  party  headed  by  the 
officers.  Our  executive  officer  made  a  little 
speech.  Speeches,  toasts,  cold  water,  jest,  and 
story  had  place  in  the  order  of  the  hour,  and 
no  one  for  a  moment  would  have  thought  that 
the  two  crews,  less  than  a  year  before,  had 
been  engaged  in  pounding  each  other's  faces 
after  the  most  approved  style  of  prize-fighters. 
"  Next  summer,  when  we  were  down  at  Pe- 
nang,  the  Powhataris  crew  got  leave  of  absence 
for  forty-eight  hours.  The  Highflyer  was  there 
also.  The  two  crews  hobnobbed  famously,  and 
got  up  an  excursion  to  a  noted  resort  some  six 
miles  distant.  The  sailors  hired  coaches  and 
saddle-horses,  took  along  baskets  of  pop-beer, 
stout,  claret,  oranges,  sardines,  hams,  herrings, 
etc.  Every  man  carried  a  '  Penang  lawyer.' 
The  men  started  along  the  shell  road,  and  in 
due  time  reached  their  destination,  and  every 
thing  was  joyous  during  the  entire  leave  of 
absence." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    LAND    CRUISE. 

WHILE  England  and  France  were  en 
deavoring  to  extort  a  treaty  from 
China  at  the  cannon's  mouth,  the  United 
States,  like  the  fox  that  secured  the  bone  for 
which  the  bull-dog  and  the  mastiff  were  fight 
ing,  quietly  slipped  in,  and  conducted  a  satis 
factory  negotiation  with  China  months  before 
England  and  France  had  attained  their  object. 
In  the  words  of  an  English  writer,  "  The  calcu 
lating,  long-backed  diplomatists  of  the  United 
States  sent  their  admiral  and  envoy  to  reap 
the  advantages  for  which  the  Englishmen 
were  fighting."  A  day  or  two  after  the  battle, 
the  Chinese  officials  sent  aboard  the  Pow- 
hatan  twenty  sheep,  twenty  hogs,  one  hundred 
and  forty  chickens,  sixty  ducks,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  of  vegetables,  two  hundred 

94 


A  Land  Cruise.  95 

and  fifty  pounds  of  fruit,  two  thousand  five 
hundred  pounds  of  flour,  and  two  thousand 
pounds  of  rice. 

In  receiving  these  most  acceptable  gifts,  the 
Americans  did  not  forget  their  English  and 
French  friends,  many  of  whom  had  been  des 
perately  wounded,  and  had  been  without  food 
thirty-six  hours.  Unknown  to  the  Chinese, 
the  Americans  promptly  forwarded  these  pro 
visions  to  the  English  and  French  squadron. 
It  was  in  reference  to  this  that  an  "  eye-wit 
ness  "  wrote  to  the  London  Times  :  "  Many  of 
our  men  slept  in  the  American  tender  (Toey- 

Wan)  on  the  night  of  the  fight.  Cigars, 
coffee,  brandy — everything  a  man  could  want 

—were  placed  before  them.  The  American 
crew  forgot  themselves,  and  thought  only  of 
the  British.  A  few  days  after  the  fight,  a 
Chinese  junk  with  a  flag  of  truce  brought  fresh 
provisions  to  the  Powhatan.  These  were  im 
mediately  sent  to  our  wounded.  The  bond  of 
American  brotherhood  was  deeply  cemented 
in  our  trial  at  the  Peiho.  I  believe  there  was 
not  a  man  in  the  fleet  who  did  not  feel  it  grow 
ing  up  within  him,  and  I  am  sure  there  are 
thousands,  if  I  may  not  say  millions,  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  who  will  join  me  in  the 


96  The  Old  Navy. 

fervent  wish  that  that  feeling  of  brotherhood 
may  take  deeper  and  deeper  root  in  both 
lands." 

The  result  of  the  battle  of  the  Peiho,  of 
course,  brought  to  a  close  all  diplomatic  rela 
tions  between  the  English  and  French  and 
the  Chinese  government,  and  the  allied  naval 
forces  retired  in  order  to  make  preparations 
for  a  more  determined  attack  upon  the  forts. 
The  Powhatan,  however,  remained  on  the 
scene  of  action,  and  a  few  days  later,  July 
5th,  two  mandarins  came  aboard  with  a  letter 
for  Mr.  Ward,  from  Hang  Fu,  the  Governor- 
General,  requesting  an  interview  ;  and  on  the 
8th,  Mr.  Ward  and  his  suite  landed  at  the 
town  of  Pei-Tang,  twelve  miles  to  the  north 
of  the  Peiho,  and  proceeded  to  the  audience 
chamber,  where  they  were  received  in  the  most 
friendly  manner.  The  Governor-General  as 
sured  Mr.  Ward  that  he  would  be  able  to  pro 
ceed  to  Peking  in  a  short  time,  and  meantime 
he  must  consider  himself  a  guest.  On  the 
morning  of  the  nth,  two  Chinese  officials 
called  on  Mr.  Ward,  and  informed  him  that 
on  the  2Oth  he  could  start  for  Peking. 

Having  completed  all  his  preparations,  Mr. 
Ward  left  the  Pohawtan  on  the  afternoon  of 


A  Land  Cruise.  97 

July  i Qth,  having  with  him  W.  W.  Ward  as 
Secretary  of  Legation  ;  Dr.  John  L.  Fox  of 
the  Mississippi  ;  Flag- Lieutenant  Trenchard  ; 
Purser  B.  F.  Gallagher ;  Chief  Engineer  Wil 
liam  H.  Shock  ;  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Haber- 
scham  ;  Captain  A.  S.  Taylor,  of  the  Marine 
Corps  ;  Assistant  Surgeon,  John  W.  Sandford  ; 
Chaplain  Henry  WTood  ;  Commodore's  Secre 
tary  John  Allmand — all  of  the  Powhatan.  S. 
W.  Williams,  W.  P.  Martin,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Atchinson,  acted  as  interpreters,  besides 
which  there  were  two  attaches,  three  marines, 
and  a  valet,  besides  ten  Chinese  waiters,  cooks, 
and  servants.  Considerable  delay  in  starting 
was  caused  by  the  Chinese  insisting  on  under 
standing  the  exact  rank  of  each  of  the  Ameri 
cans,  which  they  declared  must  be  printed  on 
flags,  and  mounted  on  the  cart  assigned  to 
each  of  them.  As  the  Chinese  vocabulary 
did  not  contain  names  that  corresponded 
exactly  with  European  ideas  of  rank,  the  diffi 
culty  was  finally  settled  in  this  way.  The 
captains,  lieutenants,  etc.,  were  easily  disposed 
of.  The  doctor  was  known  as  the  Chief  medi 
cine-man,  the  purser  as  "  Chief  of  the  Silver 
Treasure"  the  chaplain  as  the  "Josh-man"; 
the  chief  engineer,  as  "  Chief  of  Fire  Kings." 


98  The  Old  Navy. 

These  ranks  were  duly  inscribed  on  small 
yellow  flags  attached  to  a  staff,  and  in  the 
order  of  precedence  they  left  Pei-Tang  early  on 
the  morning  of  July  2Oth.  The  Chinese  offi 
cial  escort  consisted  of  Ten  Ung-Hau,  a  blue- 
ball  mandarin,  salt  commissioner ;  Chang,  a 
colonel,  red-buttoned  mandarin  ;  Lee,  a  blue- 
buttoned  mandarin  ;  Fei  and  Pein  Chinese 
prefects,  with  crystal  balls. 

The  first  part  of  the  journey  was  to  be 
undertaken  in  ox-carts,  which  were  entirely 
without  springs  and  covered  with  canvas  top, 
mounted  on  two  wheels  and  drawn  by  two 
mules  in  tandem.  The  first  part  of  the  jour 
ney  was  through  a  dismal  burying-ground, 
on  which  thousands  of  conical-shaped  grave 
mounds  had  been  thrown.  The  vast  number 
of  graves  induced  our  officers  to  believe  that 
dead  men  were  far  more  in  evidence  in  China 
than  live  men.  After  two  hours  of  patient 
toil  the  mules  carried  the  Americans  through 
this  graveyard,  and  at  noon  they  reached  a 
village  which  was  the  first  stopping-place. 
The  house  at  which  they  stopped  was  pro 
fusely  decorated  with  strips  of  red  silk  upon 
which  were  written  Chinese  characters. 

When  these  characters  were  interpreted  to 


A  Land  Cruise.  99 

our  officers  they  were  quite  overwhelmed. 
They  were  intended  to  express  the  joy  and 
good  wishes  of  the  Chinese  Government  on 
the  first  American  official  visit  to  his  domains. 
Some  of  these  mottoes  were  translated  as 
follows  :  "  Literature  like  a  good  horse  is  as 
vigorous  as  a  thousand  autumns ; "  The 
virtue  of  sages  is  like  sweet  wine  ; "  "  The 
words  of  a  King  are  like  silken  sounds  ;  " 
"  Great  joy  ; "  "  Felicitous  sun,  auspicious 
cloud  ;  "  "  Harmonious  breezes,  sweet  rains  ;  " 
"Receive  all  Heaven's  happiness;"  "Imagi 
nation,  like  a  great  dragon,  soars  a  hundred 
feet ; "  "  Happiness  comes  from  Heaven  ;  " 
"  Heaven's  grace  and  riches  ; "  "  The  King 
dom's  favors  are  many."  There  were  many 
others,  but  our  officers  found  the  interpreta 
tion  of  these  quite  enough. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  journey  was 
"  resumed  in  heavenly  weather  and  over  hellish 
roads  "  as  one  of  the  officers  expressed  it.  At 
all  the  stopping-places  the  American  officers 
found  the  most  elaborate  preparations  made 
for  their  accommodation.  Sumptuous  dinners 
awaited  them,  and  everything  in  the  eating 
line  known  to  Chinese  culinary  art  was  wait 
ing  for  them.  Our  officers,  however,  confined 


ioo  The  Old  Navy. 

themselves  to  a  few  well-known  dishes,  following 
the  rule  laid  down  by  the  experienced  Euro 
peans  in  China,  "  Never  partake  of  anything  in 
the  way  of  flesh  or  fowl  unless  the  head  or  legs 
are  present  or  accounted  for."  On  the  close 
of  the  second  day  they  reached  the  banks  of 
the  river  which  proved  to  be  the  Peiho,  the 
Chinese  taking  this  circuitous  route  evidently 
for  the  purpose  of  confusing  the  Americans  as 
to  the  geography  of  the  country.  Here  the 
party  embarked  in  junks,  and  for  the  rest  of  the 
distance  proceeded  quite  comfortably  by  water. 
The  junks  were  pulled  by  a  tow-line  by  ten 
Chinese  coolies.  On  the  26th  they  passed 
through  an  opening  in  a  barrier  thrown  across 
the  river,  which  was  just  wide  enough  to  admit 
the  passage  of  the  largest  junk.  It  was  con 
structed  of  heavy  logs  of  from  ten  to  fourteen 
inches  in  diameter,  and  extended  in  a  line  with 
the  course  of  the  river  about  twelve  feet.  This 
barrier  evidently  had  been  constructed  as  an 
additional  defence  to  the  Capital  against  the 
gun-boats. 

Our  officers  arrived  in  Peking  on  the  27th, 
and  were  conducted  to  an  old  palace,  where 
they  were  kept  in  close  confinement,  on  one 
pretext  or  another,  by  the  Chinese  until  the 


A  Land  Cruise.  101 

negotiations  were  completed,  it  being  the  pol 
icy  of  the  Chinese  to  allow  the  Americans  to 
learn  as  little  as  possible  about  the  country. 
It  was  at  this  stage  of  the  negotiations  that 
Mr.  Ward  showed  his  true  Americanism.  The 
Chinese  officials  endeavored  to  induce  him  to 
perform  the  ko-taw  before  the  Emperor ;  that 
is,  fall  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and  in  that  at 
titude  crawl  on  the  floor  toward  the  Emperor 
until  at  a  given  distance,  when  he  was  to  stop, 
and  knock  the  floor  nine  times  with  his  fore 
head.  Mr.  Ward  absolutely  refused  to  submit 
to  any  such  ceremony,  and  declared  that  he 
would  salute  the  Emperor  in  no  other  way 
than  it  was  customary  to  salute  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  On  August  i  ith,  the  party 
returned  to  Pei-Tang,  arriving  there  after  five 
days  of  fatiguing  travel,  where  the  treaties 
were  formally  exchanged.  After  that  the 
American  officers  returned  to  the  Powhatan, 
that  vessel  shortly  afterward  returning  to  the 
United  States,  having  on  board  the  Japanese 
Commissioners. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EARLY    SERVICE    IN    THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

IT  has  been  said  that  the  greatest  military 
commanders  displayed  quite  as  much 
skill  in  feeding  their  armies  as  in  arranging 
their  lines  of  battle.  Whether  this  is  exag 
gerated  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  they  spent 
much  energy  and  forethought  in  this  import 
ant  department.  Probably  no  one  realizes 
more  than  commanding  generals  the  difficulty 
of  fighting  on  an  empty  stomach  ;  and  a 
careful  perusal  of  their  lives  shows  that  they 
made  great  efforts  not  only  to  supply  their 
men  with  an  abundance  of  wholesome  food, 
but  to  secure  even  luxuries.  The  feeding  of 
the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  men  who  kept 
the  field  during  the  civil  war  in  the  United 
States,  might  well  form  in  itself  an  interesting 
history.  The  transportation  of  immense  quan- 


102 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      103 

titles  of  provisions,  medical  stores,  and  general 
supplies,  indispensable  to  active  military  oper 
ations,  over  all  kinds  of  roads,  in  all  sorts  of 
weather,  and  at  all  hours  of  the  night  and  day, 
was  a  task  of  appalling  magnitude  ;  and  it  was 
largely  on  the  successful  and  prompt  perform 
ance  of  this  work  that  the  success  of  many 
campaigns  depended. 

Ordinarily,  little  glory  has  been  accorded 
the  commissariat  department,  the  sutler's  divi 
sion,  or  the  cooking-vats  ;  while  the  patient, 
hard-working  mule  of  the  wagon-train  has 
come  in  for  his  full  share  of  ridicule.  Even 
the  hero  of  a  successful  foraging  party  has 
been  denied  a  serious  place  among  the  men 
who  contributed  in  more  than  an  ordinary  de 
gree  to  the  successful  termination  of  the  war, 
and  his  exploits  have  been  relegated  to  the 
category  of  camp-fire  yarns  and  open-hearth 
tales,  rather  than  to  the  dignified  record  of 
history.  Yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
success  of  the  heroes  who  fought  in  the  front 
ranks  was,  to  an  appreciable  extent,  due  to 
the  men  who  patiently  followed  the  army  from 
one  point  to  another,  and  who  frequently  were 
quite  as  much  exposed  to  the  main  attack  of 
the  enemy  as  was  the  vanguard,  and  often  were 


104  The  Old  Navy. 

called  upon  to  do  some  desperate  fighting  in 
order  to  defend  the  supplies  from  the  swift 
raids  of  a  daring  and  skilful  foe.  In  short,  it 
might  well  be  a  question  open  to  serious  argu 
ment,  whether  or  not,  in  proportion  to  their 
numbers,  the  men  having  the  provision  trains 
in  charge  did  not  do  as  much  real  fighting  as 
the  troops  forming  the  line  of  battle. 

There  is  an  important  division  of  this  corps 
of  food-suppliers  that  performed  gallant  serv 
ice  during  the  Civil  War  which  seemed  to  have 
escaped  public  attention  ;  and  that  is  the  divi 
sion  which  kept  our  warriors  on  the  high  seas 
supplied  with  provisions.  The  commissariat 
department  of  the  army  has  been  more  or  less 
noticed  in  the  popular  narratives  of  the  day, 
but  this  is  far  from  being  the  case  with  the 
"commissariat's  department"  of  the  navy. 
One  of  the  serious  problems  that  confronted 
the  Government  in  maintaining  the  blockade 
of  Southern  ports,  was  that  of  supplying  our 
squadrons  with  necessary  stores.  The  dreary 
monotony  of  the  blockade  service  off  the  low* 
fever-stricken  coasts  of  the  Gulf  States  was 
rendered  more  irksome  by  the  fogs  prevailing 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  which  kept  the 
ships  constantly  damp  and  in  an  unhealthy 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      105 

condition.  This,  together  with  the  salt  meat, 
canned  provisions,  and  the  lifeless  monotony 
of  the  service,  had  a  most  depressing  effect  upon 
the  officers  and  crews.  Cut  off  from  all  regu 
lar  communication  with  the  North  ;  constantly 
exposed  to  sudden  attacks  from  a  vigilant  foe  ; 
they  remained  for  weeks  at  a  time  ignorant 
of  the  progress  of  the  war,  except  what  they 
learned  from  an  occasional  Southern  news 
paper,  or  picked  up  from  the  fishermen  ;  and 
this,  it  may  well  be  imagined,  was  so  radiant 
with  Confederate  successes  as  to  lead  our  offi 
cers  to  believe  that  the  Union  was  going  rap 
idly  and  irretrievably  to  pieces. 

A  touching  illustration  of  the  privations  our 
officers  suffered  is  had  in  a  private  note  from 
Flag-Officer  James  S.  Lardner  to  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  when  the  latter,  in  the  Rhode  Is 
land,  was  at  Key  West.  The  note  is  dated, 
"  U.  S.  Frigate  St.  Lawrence,  Key  West,  Oct. 
6,  1861:  My  dear  Trenchard:  Many  thanks 
for  your  kind  note  and  handsome  present  of 
fruit ;  most  acceptable  in  these  scorching 
times.  I  regret  extremely  that  the  fever  pre 
vents  me  from  having  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you,  and  hope  by  the  time  you  touch  here  on 
your  return  it  will  have  passed  away.  With 


io6  The  Old  Navy. 

the  present  weather,  there  is  no  danger  of  any 
new  cases.  About  ten  days  ago  the  weather 
was  like  this  for  awhile,  and  then  there  were 
no  new  cases  until  within  a  few  days,  when  the 
hot  weather  returned,  and  brought  it  back. 
There  has  been  only  one  death  in  the  last 
ten  days." 

For  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  blockade 
squadrons  supplied  with  fresh  provisions,  and 
for  securing  a  means  for  transporting  the  sick, 
wounded,  prisoners,  arms,  ammunition,  and  the 
mails,  the  Government  early  in  the  war  se 
cured  two  steamers,  christened  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island,  and  detailed  them  for  this  impor 
tant  service.  Why  they  were  named  after  two 
of  the  smallest  Northern  states  is  difficult  to 
understand,  for  the  part  they  took  in  the  war 
was  by  no  means  an  unimportant  one  as 
the  hundreds  of  surviving  officers  who  sat 
down  to  well-provisioned  messes  will  cheerfully 
attest.  Aside  from  this  duty  they  were  fre 
quently  called  upon  to  perform  more  warlike 
service  in  the  way  of  chasing  privateers  or 
bombarding  fortifications. 

Of  such  importance  to  the  blockading  squad 
ron  were  the  visits  of  the  Connecticut  and  the 
Rhode  Island  that  Flag-Officer  William  Mer- 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      107 

vine,  commanding  the  Gulf  blockading  squad 
rons  early  in  the  war,  issued  the  following  order 
to  the  commanders  of  his  vessels  :  "  On  making 
out  the  distinguishing  numbers  of  the  steamers 
Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut,  you  will  have 
your  boats  lowered  to  receive  supplies  of  vege 
tables  and  fresh  provisions,  thereby  giving  to 
those  steamers  quick  dispatch."  We  get  a  good 
idea  of  the  nature  of  this  service  in  a  letter 
from  Commodore  Hiram  Paulding,  a  veteran 
of  the  war  of  1812,  to  Lieutenant  Trenchard, 
dated  January,  1862.  "  I  have  the  pleasure 
to  receive  your  note,  and  the  green  turtle 
heralded  its  coming.  The  first  was  kindly 
written,  and  the  last  most  excellent  eating,  the 
objection  being  the  great  trouble  it  imposed 
upon  you.  No  bill  of  expense  came  and  I 
wait  with  all  becoming  solicitude  the  announce 
ment  of  my  responsibility.  I  thank  you  most 
sincerely  for  your  kind  remembrance,  and  Mrs. 
Paulding  and  the  children  unite  with  me  in 
congratulations  upon  a  successful  trip  and  a 
safe,  and  I  trust  a  happy,  return.  I  have  just 
learned  that  you  are  preparing  to  go  with  sup 
plies  [to  the  blockading  squadrons]  ;  I  would 
have  liked  it  better  if  you  were  here  [in  Wash 
ington]  but  am  glad  your  ship  is  not  to  be 


io8  The  Old  Navy. 

withdrawn  from  the  important  service  of  con 
veying  supplies,  in  which  she  has  done  her 
work  so  well.  You  may  prefer  other  service 
but  cannot  find  a  more  useful  place  for  the 
public  good.  Your  experience  and  ability  fit 
you  so  eminently  for  your  command,  that  no 
one  could  supersede  you  in  the  Rhode  Island 
without  inconvenience  and  discomfort  to  the 
blockade.  So  I  hope  you  will  cheerfully  con 
trol  any  desire  that  you  may  have  to  knock 
the  rebels  on  the  head.  I  hope  you  will  not 
be  caught  in  the  ice,  which  is  to  be  appre 
hended.  I  saw  your  First  Lieutenant  (Mr. 
Pennell)  yesterday  looking  up  a  command 
amongst  the  small  purchase  steamers  from 
which  I  think  he  made  a  selection.  As  usual, 
we  are  going  on  fitting  and  sending  to  sea. 
Porter  will  get  off  this  week  with  his  heavy 
bomb  flotilla,  which  will  have  a  great  power 
for  mischief." 

In  a  letter  from  Acting  Master  J.  M.  Wain- 
wright,  U.  S.  N.,  off  Galveston,  is  seen  the  value 
of  the  service  performed  by  the  supply-steam 
ers.  "  Many  thanks  for  your  kindness  in 
sending  the  paper  and  the  Navy  Register.  I 
am  also  much  gratified  that  you  called  on  my 
uncle.  I  understand  this  is  your  last  trip  in 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      109 

the  Rhode  Island  as  a  supply-steamer.  I  am 
sorry  we  are  to  lose  so  pleasant  a  monthly 
visitor,  but  I  suppose  you  are  tired  of  this 
duty,  and  I  hope  you  may  get  a  very  rich  berth 
instead." 

The  Rhode  Island  especially  had  a  most  inter 
esting  and  romantic  career  as  a  supply-steamer. 
During  the  Civil  War  she  steamed  over  56,200 
miles  running  from  one  blockading  squadron  to 
another,  and  bringing  good  cheer  to  the  officers 
and  men  ;  taking  an  occasional  dash  in  the  West 
Indies  after  Confederate  cruisers  ;  rescuing  the 
survivors  of  the  ill-fated  Monitor  ;  lending  a 
hand  to  ship-wrecked  sailors  ;  protecting  Ameri 
cans  in  foreign  ports  ;  acting  as  flagship  to  rear 
admirals ;  and  finally  blossoming  out  as  a  full- 
fledged  gunboat  and  capturing  a  number  of 
vessels. 

This  vessel,  formerly  the  Eagle,  was  a  side- 
wheel  steamer  built  for  the  Charleston  Line,  and 
was  new  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities.  She 
was  admirably  adapted  for  the  supply-service, 
being  236  feet  over  all,  having  thirty-six  feet 
beam  and  151 7  tons.  The  cabins  were  finished 
in  polished  maple  and  walnut  ;  the  staterooms 
had  excellent  mattresses  and  blankets  ;  while 
there  was  a  complete  outfit  of  china,  glassware 


no  The  Old  Navy. 

and  table-linen,  besides  every  improvement 
then  known  in  steam  passenger  vessels.  It  can 
be  easily  imagined  that  the  ship  was  a  most 
comfortable  and  luxurious  home  for  a  naval  offi 
cer,  especially  when  compared  with  the  wretched 
under-water  accommodations  of  the  monitors. 
She  was  purchased  by  the  Government  in  New 
York,  July  18,  1861,  for  $185,000,  and  a  bat 
tery  of  eight  8-inch  shell  guns  was  mounted  on 
her,  while  a  heavy  plating  of  iron  on  her  bow 
made  her  formidable  as  a  ram,  especially  in 
view  of  her  speed,  which  was  about  fourteen 
knots.  In  November,  1862,  this  armament  was 
increased  by  the  addition  of  two  thirty-pounder 
rifled  guns,  and  one  Q-inch  pivot  gun  as  a  bow- 
chaser.  An  ice-house  and  other  fittings  neces 
sary  to  the  supply-service  were  built  in  her 
while  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard.  When  the 
war  was  over  she  was  sold,  October  i,  1876, 
to  her  first  owners. 

The  peculiar  nature  of  the  service  on  which 
the  Rhode  Island  was  engaged  will  be  seen  in 
the  order  issued  July  27,  1861,  in  which  the 
Government  showed  its  anxiety  to  make  the 
officers  on  the  blockading  stations  as  comfort 
able  as  possible  :  "  You  are  authorized  to  fur 
nish  Messrs.  McBride  and  Elder  with  a  passage 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      1 1 1 

for  one  person,  and  also  a  store-room  in  the 
Rhode  Island  to  enable  them  to  supply  the  offi 
cers'  messes  of  the  blockading  squadrons  with 
stores,  etc.  [Probably  such  luxuries  as  were 
not  allowed  in  the  general  rations.]  They  also 
proposed  to  make  arrangements  for  washing 
the  clothes  of  the  officers,  and  if  such  an  ar 
rangement  be  concluded  you  will  afford  them 
facilities,  if  it  can  be  done  without  detriment 
to  the  public  service  for  accomplishing  this 
object.  GIDEON  WELLES." 

The  care  with  which  the  supplies  were  meas 
ured  out  to  each  vessel  of  the  blockading  squad 
ron  is  seen  in  an  order  dated  July  25,  1861, 
from  the  Bureau  of  Provisions  and  Clothing  : 
"  The  Bureau  having  directed  provisions,  cloth 
ing  and  small  stores  and  candles  to  be  supplied 
by  the  Rhode  Island  under  your  command,  you 
will  direct  the  paymaster  having  charge  of  these 
stores  to  deliver  them  on  the  outward  run,  only 
to  those  vessels  having  less  than  a  two  months' 
supply  of  these  articles.  On  the  return  trip  of 
the  Rhode  Island  the  stores  remaining  will  be 
distributed  to  the  vessels  most  in  need  of  them. 
This  order  does  not  apply  to  fresh  beef  and 
fresh  vegetables,  or  to  ice.  H.  BRIDGE." 

Special  provision  was  made  for  the  accommo- 


ii2  The  Old  Navy. 

dation  of  the  all-important  and  always-welcomed 
paymaster,  as  will  be  seen  in  an  order  dated 
April  22,  1862:  u  In  addition  to  the  space 
necessary  for  fresh  beef  and  vegetables  which 
may  be  ordered  by  the  Bureau  of  Provisions  and 
Clothing,  you  will  be  pleased  to  assign  for  the 
use  of  the  Paymaster's  Department  on  board 
the  supply-steamer  Rhode  Island,  the  space  of 
1600  cubic  feet,  in  one  or  more  apartments,  as 
may  be  most  expedient,  the  same  to  be  well  se 
cured  and  placed  under  the  exclusive  control  of 
the  Paymaster  or  Assistant-Paymaster  of  the 
vessel.  This  space  will  be  allotted  in  the  dry- 
est  and  most  convenient  part  of  the  vessel  avail 
able  for  cargo,  and  will  in  no  case  be  taken  for 
any  other  purpose  than  for  paymaster's  stores 
on  board  as  cargo,  except  by  the  special  order 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  or  the  Chief  of 
the  Bureau  of  Provisions  and  Clothing. 

"  GIDEON  WELLES." 

On  April  19,  1861,  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
was  ordered  to  command  the  Keystone  State, 
then  at  Philadelphia.  He  sailed  from  the 
navy-yard,  under  sealed  orders,  for  Norfolk. 
Arriving  there  forty-eight  hours  after  her  pur 
chase,  completely  armed  and  equipped,  he 
found  the  place  in  flames,  the  frigate  Cumber- 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.      113 

land,  especially,  being  in  great  danger.  She 
had  been  hemmed  in,  by  the  Confederates  sink 
ing  a  number  of  vessels,  so  as  to  obstruct  the 
channel.  Waiting  until  high  tide,  the  Key 
stone  State,  with  the  steam  tug  Yankee,  suc 
ceeded,  after  an  hour  of  hard  work,  in  crushing 
through  these  obstructions  and  rescuing  the 
Cumberland.  Flag-Officer  Hiram  Paulding 
transferred  his  flag  to  the  Keystone  State,  upon 
which  she  proceeded  to  Washington,  having 
on  board  the  marines  of  the  Norfolk  Navy- 
Yard  and  several  officers.  Here  he  received 
the  following  complimentary  order  from  Sec 
retary  Welles :  "  Upon  Commander  G.  H. 
Scott's  reporting,  you  will  regard  yourself  as 
detached  from  the  command  of  the  Keystone 
State,  and  you  will  report  to  Captain  Du  Pont 
for  temporary  duty  at  the  navy-yard  under  his 
command.  The  Department  tenders  its  high 
appreciation  of  your  promptness  and  efficiency 
while  in  command."  On  June  19,  1861,  he, 
Trenchard,  was  ordered  to  command  the  Rhode 
Island,  his  selection  being  due,  probably,  to  the 
fact  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  coast-sur 
vey,  1852-1857,  thereby  becoming  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  Southern  coasts. 

The  other  officers   of  the  Rhode  Island  at 


ii4  The  Old  Navy. 

the  beginning  of  her  career  were  Lieut.  J.  A. 
Pennell ;  Acting-Masters,  Henry  Churchill, 
T.  N.  Myer,  and  William  Williams ;  Assistant 
Surgeon  Samuel  R.  Foreman  ;  Chief  Engineer 
John  F.  McCutchen  ;  Third  Assistant  Engi 
neers,  George  H.  Rutter,  Joseph  C.  Lewis, 
Greenville  Lewis,  and  James  R.  Webb  ;  Pay 
master,  Richard  Hall  Douglass  ;  Acting-Mas 
ters'  Mates,  A.  B.  Causse,  Eugene  W.  Watson, 
E.  R.  Davidson,  John  O'Hare,  and  J.  Rich 
mond  ;  Paymaster's  Clerk,  Frank  H.  Deal ; 
and  Captain's  Clerk,  Newcomb  M.  Bassett. 
Most  of  these  officers  were  volunteers  in  the 
service,  and  were  highly  spoken  of  by  their 
commander.  Of  McCutchen,  Trenchard  says  : 
"  He  was  always  ready  to  have  steam  up,  and 
was  a  most  capable  engineer." 

That  the  work  of  the  Rhode  Island  was  not 
to  be  entirely  one  of  peace,  will  be  seen  by  the 
order  Lieutenant  Trenchard  received  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  April  27,  1861  : 
"  It  will  be  the  duty  of  all  Government  vessels 
to  seize  or  capture  any  privateer  or  vessel  it 
may  meet  on  the  high  seas  or  in  any  waters, 
or  making  hostile  demonstrations  toward  the 
United  States  or  any  of  its  citizens.  Vessels 
having  on  board  arms,  munitions,  articles  con- 


Early  Service  in  the  Civil  War.       115 

traband,  or  which  are  of  suspicious  character, 
or  that  claim  to  belong  to,  or  have  authority 
from,  any  government  or  pretended  govern 
ment  not  recognized  by  the  United  States, 
should  be  at  once  captured.  All  commanders 
of  sea-going  vessels  will  be  vigilant  and  ener 
getic  in  carrying  out  these  orders." 

The  sphere  of  action  given  to  the  Rhode 
Island  was  further  enlarged  by  an  order  from 
Secretary  Welles,  dated  October  i,  1861  :  "  On 
your  arrival  from  each  trip  to  the  blockading 
squadron,  the  Department  desires  you  to  fur 
nish  it  with  the  following  papers  :  ist.  List  of 
the  passengers  brought  home,  from  what  ves 
sel  received,  and  the  cause  of  the  return.  2d. 
An  abstract  of  vessels  spoken  and  boarded  dur 
ing  the  outward  and  homeward  passages,  when 
and  where  boarded,  and  your  proceedings  in 
each  case.  3d.  A  list  of  the  vessels  to  which 
you  furnished  supplies  during  the  outward  pas 
sage,  when  and  where  supplied,  and  the  nature 
and  values  of  the  supplied.  4th.  A  similar 
list  respecting  vessels  supplied  on  the  home 
ward  passage.  You  will  also  furnish,  before 
leaving  for  the  blockading  squadron,  a  list  of 
passengers  and  their  destinations." 


CHAPTER   X. 

FIRST    TRIP    SOUTH. 

THE  Rhode  Island  began  her  work  of 
bringing  comfort  and  good-cheer  to  the 
blockading  squadrons  at  noon,  July  31,  1861. 
In  accordance  with  his  instructions  to  examine 
every  ship  he  fell  in  with,  Lieutenant  Tren- 
chard,  on  the  second  day  out,  spoke  a  brig 
from  New  York  and  boarded  another  from 
Baltimore  bound  for  St.  Bias.  On  the  after 
noon  of  the  third  day  he  stood  close  in  shore 
near  Ocracoke  Inlet,  and  observing  a  number 
of  vessels  at  anchor  in  Pamlico  Sound,  opened 
fire  on  them  with  his  rifled  howitzer,  but  finding 
that  the  shot  fell  short  by  about  half  a  mile,  he 
desisted. 

On  this,  and  the  following  day,  the  Rhode 
Island  fell  in  with  the  United  States  warships 
Savannah  and  Wabash,  the  former  about  forty 

116 


First  Trip  South.  117 

miles  north  of  Cape  Hatteras,  and  the  latter 
some  thirty  miles  south  of  Cape  Fear.  The 
officers  and  crews  of  these  vessels  expressed 
great  delight  on  making  out  the  Rhode  Island's 
number,  as  indeed  did  all  the  crews  engaged  in 
blockade  duty.  "  The  officers  of  the  Savan 
nah''  wrote  Lieutenant  Trenchard,  "  were  de 
lighted  with  a  surprise  in  the  receipt  of  their 
letters  ;  supplied  the  Wabash  with  fresh  pro 
visions,  stores,  etc.,  and  stood  on  our  course 
for  Charleston."  The  Wabash,  at  the  time  had 
in  tow  a  schooner  which  she  had  recaptured 
from  the  Confederate  privateer  Dixie.  Before 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  left  the  Wabash\\t  cap 
tured  a  French  brig  that  had  attempted  to 
violate  the  blockade. 

On  Sunday,  August  4th,  the  Rhode  Island 
arrived  off  Charleston.  Just  as  day  was  break 
ing  the  lookout  reported  a  suspicious-looking 
schooner  between  them  and  the  land.  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  promptly  made  chase,  upon 
which  the  schooner  put  on  every  stitch  of 
canvas  and  endeavored  to  gain  the  inlet.  The 
Union  steamer  was  rapidly  gaining,  and  every 
moment  the  order  to  open  lire  was  expected 
when  the  leadsman  reported  shoals.  Finding 
that  the  water  continued  to  shoal,  Lieutenant 


n8  The  Old  Navy. 

Trenchard  was  compelled  to  put  about  before 
he  could  get  within  striking  distance  of  the 
chase.  He  then  ran  into  the  main  ship  channel 
at  Charleston,  where  he  found  the  frigate 
Roanoke,  Captain  William  C.  Nicholson, 
having  Flag-Officer  Garrett  J.  Pendergrast 
aboard ;  the  steamer  Seminole,  Commander 
Thompson  ;  and  the  sloop-of-war  Vandaliay 
Commander  S.  Philips  Lee,  at  anchor. 

While  at  this  place  the  Union  officers  ex 
perienced  one  of  those  serio-comic  difficulties 
that  were  so  common  during  the  war.  The 
officers  of  the  Rlwde  Island  had  the  kindest  of 
dispositions,  and  held  human  slavery  to  be  the 
most  abominable  of  institutions.  They  entered 
upon  their  first  active  service  in  this  war  with  a 
resolute  determination  to  do  all  in  their  power 
to  release  the  negro  from  his  "  horrible  bond 
age."  The  first  opportunity  occurred  off 
Charleston.  Two  negroes,  about  nineteen 
years  of  age,  were  innocently  paddling  along 
the  shore  in  a  canoe  enjoying  themselves  thor 
oughly,  and  apparently  unconscious  of  their 
danger  in  being  rescued  from  their  "  horrible 
bondage."  When  they  were  discovered,  a  boat 
from  the  Rhode  Island  promptly  pulled  off 
with  a  marine  guard,  and  after  a  vigorous  effort 


First  Trip  South.  119 

it  overtook  the  canoe  and  brought  the  negroes 
aboard. 

So  far  everything  had  progressed  as  satisfac 
torily  as  the  most  ardent  humanitarian  could 
desire.  But  soon  the  question  arose,  "  What 
shall  we  do  with  the  negroes  ?  "  Dirty,  and 
almost  destitute  of  clothing,  they  were  most 
persistent  in  obtruding  themselves  in  just  those 
parts  of  the  ship  where  they  were  least  wanted. 
In  the  first  gush  of  kindliness  for  waifs  rescued 
from  ''horrible  bondage,"  the  Union  officers 
did  not  like  to  order  their  visitors  around  like 
the  rest  of  the  crew  ;  and  the  result  was  that 
Sambo  and  Jupiter  soon  became  intolerable 
nuisances,  especially  for  the  officers ;  for  the 
negroes  seemed  to  think  no  part  of  the  ship  too 
good  for  them,  and  that  the  persons  of  the 
officers  were  not  too  sacred  to  be  handled. 
They  took  a  fancy  especially  to  the  gold  lace  on 
the  uniforms,  and  insisted  on  passing  their 
horny  hands  over  it.  The  nuisance  became 
so  great  that  after  a  consultation  it  was  decided 
to  send  the  "  released  slaves  "  aboard  the  Roa- 
noke.  But  Flag-Officer  Pendergrast  had  been 
on  the  station  longer  than  the  officers  of  the 
Rhode  Island,  and  undoubtedly  had  had  expe 
rience  with  the  escaped  slaves  aboard  his  ship, 


120  The  Old  Navy. 

so  he  promptly  sent  them  back  to  the  Rhode 
Island  with  instructions  to  land  them  under  a 
flag  of  truce,  or  to  keep  them  on  board  until 
they  fell  in  with  Flag-Officer  Stringham,  to 
whom  they  might  be  given  up. 

But  here  another  difficulty  arose.  It  was 
doubtful  if  the  Rhode  Island  would  fall  in  with 
the  old  commodore,  short  of  several  months, 
and  the  idea  began  to  prevail  among  the  Rhode 
Island's  officers  that  perhaps  even  Stringham 
might  have  so  far  satiated  his  desire  to  release 
the  poor  negro  from  his  "  horrible  bondage," 
as  to  refuse  to  take  them  aboard  of  his  ship 
and  again  send  them  back  to  the  Rhode  Island, 
with  further  indefinite  instructions.  The  pros 
pect  of  having  the  negroes  aboard  the  ship 
several  months,  during  the  hottest  part  of  the 
year,  in  a  tropical  climate,  was  too  much  for  the 
intensely  anti-slavery  officers  of  the  Rhode  Isl 
and,  and  finally  it  was  decided  to  land  them 
under  a  flag  of  truce,  and  leave  them — to  their 
"  horrible  bondage."  On  no  other  occasion 
do  we  find  the  Rhode  Island's  officers  taking 
aboard  fugitive  negroes  ;  still  less  sending  armed 
boats  out  to  capture  them. 

Touching  at  Savannah,  August  5th,  where 
she  supplied  the  sailing  frigate  St.  Lawrence 


First  Trip  South.  121 

with  fresh  provisions,  the  Rhode  Island  arrived 
at  Fernandina  about  seven  o'clock  the  same 
evening,  where  she  found  the  United  States 
sailing  sloop-of-war  Jamestown,  Commander 
Charles  Green.  The  Jamestown  had  just  had 
an  exciting  chase  and  fight  with  a  large  block 
ade-runner  off  the  mouth  of  St.  Mary's.  Early 
in  the  day,  while  near  this  river,  Commander 
Green  discovered  a  large  ship  standing  for  the 
bar,  apparently  determined  to  get  into  the 
river  at  all  hazards.  Chase  was  promptly  given  ; 
and  in  a  short  time  both  vessels  were  stretch 
ing  away  at  full  speed.  Finding  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  escape,  the  Confederate  com 
mander  headed  for  the  shore,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  had  his  ship  hard  and  fast  aground. 
Well-armed  boats  were  at  once  sent  to  take 
possession  of  the  vessel  and  to  get  her  off.  In 
doing  this,  our  men  were  fired  upon  from  the 
shore  with  artillery  and  musketry,  and  a  des 
perate  effort  was  made  by  the  enemy  to  get 
a  gun  from  the  land  to  the  ship  to  aid  in  her 
defence.  But  the  boats  from  the  Jamestown 
prevented  this,  and  the  Union  tars  soon  took 
possession  of  the  stranded  craft,  only  a  few 
minutes  after  she  had  been  deserted  by  her 
officers  and  crew. 


122  The  Old  Navy. 

An  examination  was  begun  to  ascertain  the 
character  of  the  cargo,  but  as  night  came  on 
with  every  indication  of  a  storm,  it  was  de 
cided  to  set  fire  to  the  ship  and  return  to  the 
Jamestown.  This  was  done  and  the  vessel 
was  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  She  proved 
to  be  the  sailing  ship  Alvarado,  of  and  for  Bos 
ton  from  Cape  Town,  and  the  impression  was 
that  she  had  been  captured,  and  was  being  car 
ried  into  St.  Mary's,  or  that  the  prize-master 
had  concluded  to  run  the  ship  into  that  port  and 
sell  her.  The  log  evidently  had  been  written 
by  a  female,  for  the  delicate  handwriting  indi 
cated  it.  The  last  entry  made  in  it  was  :  "  We 
are  chased  by  a  man-of-war,  but  I  think  we  will 
escape  her  and  get  safely  into  St.  Mary's." 
"  It  was  a  gallant  affair,"  wrote  Lieutenant 
Trenchard,  "  on  the  part  of  the  Jamestown  ; 
and  the  officers  and  crew  deserve  the  greatest 
credit  for  the  daring  exploit.  They  were  ex 
posed  during  the  greater  part  of  the  time  to  a 
heavy  fire  from  the  artillery  brought  to  bear 
on  them  from  the  shore.  A  large  body  of 
Confederate  soldiers  witnessed  the  affair  from 
the  shore.  Our  opportune  arrival  with  fresh 
supplies  proved  most  acceptable  to  them  on 
their  return  from  the  expedition." 


First  Trip  South.  123 

On  Tuesday,  August  6th,  while  off  Cape 
Canavaral,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  records  that 
he  gave  his  first  dinner-party.  Paymasters 
Elisha  W.  Dunn,  and  Henry  H.  Pangborn, 
and  Messrs.  Churchill,  Blake,  and  Baldwin  be 
ing  the  guests. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon  of  the 
following  day,  while  off  the  Florida  Reefs, 
bound  for  Key  West,  a  suspicious-looking  ves 
sel  was  discovered.  The  Rhode  Island  showed 
her  colors,  and  as  the  stranger  did  not  display 
hers,  a  blank  cartridge  was  fired.  As  it  pro 
duced  no  effect  Lieutenant  Trenchard  fired  a 
shot  astern  of  her.  This  also  was  without  effect, 
"  and  we  were  about  to  fire  another  shot  when 
he  condescended  to  hoist  his  flag.  The  Cap 
tain  being  asked  why  he  did  not  display  his 
colors,  replied,  that  he  could  not  make  ours 
out  very  clearly,  and  thought  us  *  Seseshish ' 
and  had  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  not 
be  captured  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  flying, 
or  give  the  rebels  an  opportunity  for  hauling  it 
down.  Another  suspicious  craft  hove  in  sight 
after  sunset  with,  as  we  supposed,  a  schooner  in 
tow.  Went  to  quarters  and  boarded  her.  She 
proved  to  be  a  Spanish  bark  from  Havana." 

Stopping  at  Key  West,  St.  Marks,  Appala- 


124  The  Old  Navy. 

chicola,  the  Eastern  Pass,  and  Pensacola,  the 
Rhode  Island  found  the  Macedonian,  the  Cru 
sader,  the  Preble,  the  Cuyler,  (Captain  Francis 
B.  Ellison)  the  Montauk,  (Commander  James 
H.  Strong),  the  Water  Witch,  (Commander 
William  Ronckendorff),  the  Montgomery,  the 
Wyandotte,  the  Colorado,  and  the  Mississippi 
at  those  ports,  and  supplied  them  with  the  pre 
scribed  quota  of  provisions. 

The  peculiar  danger  of  the  service  on  which 
the  Rhode  Island  was  engaged  was  well  illus 
trated  when  she  approached  Ship  Island,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River,  at  that 
time  the  headquarters  of  the  squadron  opera 
ting  against  New  Orleans.  The  Rhode  Island 
had  left  Pensacola,  and  at  one  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  August  i4th  she  discovered  a  light 
directly  ahead.  At  that  moment  it  was  uncer 
tain  whether  it  was  the  light  of  a  friend  or  of  a 
foe.  The  belief  that  the  stranger  was  an  enemy 
was  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  it  was  not 
moving  and  apparently  was  waiting  for  a  favor 
able  opportunity  to  attack.  The  crew  of  the 
Rhode  Island  was  sent  to  quarters  and  every 
preparation  was  made  for  immediate  action. 
In  order  to  avoid  the  danger  of  the  battle  be 
tween  friends,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  hoisted 


First  Trip  South.  125 

his  distinguishing  lights  and  kept  them  up 
over  an  hour.  But  the  stranger  did  not  seem 
to  understand  the  signal  and  made  unintelligi 
ble  answers,  which  only  strengthened  the  belief 
that  an  enemy  was  at  hand. 

Fortunately  both  commanders  had  so  little 
faith  in  the  efficiency  of  the  night-signal  service 
then  in  vogue  in  the  United  States  Navy,  that 
they  believed  a  mistake  possible  on  both  sides, 
and  so  refrained  from  firing  until  they  could 
exchange  hails,  and  establish  their  identity. 
"  It  was  a  relief,"  wrote  Lieutenant  Trenchard, 
"  to  get  within  hail  and  recognize  friend  from 
foe."  The  stranger  proved  to  be  the  United 
States  warship  Massachusetts,  Commander 
Smith,  and  instead  of  firing  a  broadside  of  cold 
iron  into  him,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  accom 
panied  the  Mas  sac  hies  etts  to  her  anchorage  at 
Chandlers  Island,  and  furnished  her  officers  and 
crew  with  a  welcomed  supply  of  fresh  provisions. 

Three  o'clock  that  afternoon  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  boarded  a  strange  vessel,  but  find 
ing  her  to  be  an  English  sloop-of-war,  he  pro 
ceeded  on  his  way,  and  at  eight  P.M.  anchored 
off  Pass  a  1'outre  near  the  Brooklyn  and  the 
St.  Louis,  which  vessels,  also  were  supplied 
with  fresh  provisions. 


i26  The  Old  Navy. 

Only  three  nights  after  his  uncomfortable 
experience  with  the  Massachusetts  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard  had  another  illustration  of 
the  imperfect  system  of  night-signals  then  in 
use  in  the  Navy.  This  time,  August  i7th, 
he  was  approaching  Galveston  early  in  the 
morning.  The  United  States  Steamer  South 
Carolina,  Commander  James  Alden,  was  on 
guard  off  port.  "  Great  care  had  been  taken 
in  approaching."  wrote  Lieutenant  Trenchard, 
11  as  she  had  fancied  us  to  be  a  suspicious 
craft,  and  as  our  night-signals  did  not  appear 
to  be  understood  it  was  necessary  to  display  a 
little  tact  to  avoid  being  fired  into,  which  was 
accomplished  by  our  running  round  the  Soitth 
Carolina,  and  approaching  her  stern  slowly 
until  coming  within  hail.  Commander  Alden 
was  greatly  relieved  on  learning  the  name  of 
our  steamer  and  getting  his  letters  and  good 
news  from  home.  I  breakfasted  with  him  and 
he  lunched  with  me." 

Leaving  the  bark  Davis,  of  Philadelphia, 
laden  with  coal  for  the  squadron,  and  the 
schooner  Wanderer  at  this  place,  the  Rhode 
Island  began  her  return  trip.  Giving  the 
Huntsville  a  supply  of  fresh  provisions  south 
of  Shell  Key  Light,  the  Rhode  Island  met  the 


First  Trip  South.  127 

frigate  Niagara  off  Southwest  Pass,  Monday 
August  i  Qth,  and  furnished  her  with  the  usual 
supplies.  About  this  time  the  Confederate 
cruiser  Sumter  in  command  of  the  famous 
Captain  Raphael  Semmes,  was  reported  as 
being  in  the  Gulf  and  there  was  great  excite 
ment  in  the  Union  squadron.  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  notes  that  "  the  Powhatan  being 
still  absent  it  is  presumed  that  she  has  followed 
up  the  Sumter."  On  June  i8th  the  Sumter 
had  dropped  down  from  New  Orleans  to  the 
Head  of  the  Passes  and  after  waiting  several 
weeks  she  made  a  bold  dash  for  the  bar  and 
although  hotly  pursued  by  the  blockading 
vessels  she  managed  to  escape.  The  chagrin 
of  the  Union  Commander  at  the  audacious  es 
cape  of  the  Sumter,  therefore,  can  well  be  im 
agined,  so  that  when  it  was  rumored  that  she 
was  again  in  the  vicinity,  presumably  after  a 
successful  cruise,  the  Union  officers  spared  no 
trouble  to  insure  her  capture.  The  Sumter  did 
not  return  to  New  Orleans,  however,  but  con 
tinued  to  cruise  in  the  West  Indies  and  finally 
ran  over  to  Gibraltar  where  she  was  blockaded 
by  the  Kearsarge,  the  Tuscarora,  and  the  Inc. 
Supplying  the  Brooklyn,  the  St  Louis,  and 
the  Mississippi  &\.  the  Passes  of  the  Mississippi, 


128  The  Old  Navy. 

the  Rhode  Island,  at  4  P.M.,  August  2ist,  sailed 
for  Pensacola,  where  she  arrived  at  7  A.M.  on 
the  following  morning,  anchoring  near  the 
Colorado.  Here  the  little  supply-steamer  per 
formed  a  signal  service  for  the  Government. 
The  Wyandotte  had  been  detailed  to  blockade 
the  Eastern  Pass  of  the  Mississippi,  but  it  was 
found  that  the  channel  could  easily  be  blocked 
by  sinking  a  schooner,  thus  placing  at  the  dis 
posal  of  the  Gulf  squadron  an  additional  war 
ship.  So  great  was  the  demand  for  war  vessels 
at  this  time,  that  the  addition  of  one  vessel  was 
a  matter  of  no  small  importance.  A  schooner 
was  secured  at  Pensacola  and  taking  it  in  tow, 
the  Rhode  Island  carried  it  to  the  Eastern 
Pass,  where  it  was  sunk,  thus  relieving  the 
Wyandotte  of  that  duty. 

The  Rhode  Island  then  continued  on  her 
homeward  voyage,  supplying  the  Montgomery 
and  the  Cuyler  at  Appalachicola,  the  Montauk 
at  St.  Mark's,  and  falling  in  with  the  Santee, 
Captain  Henry  Eagle ;  the  Vincennes,  Com 
mander  Robert  Handy ;  the  Preble,  Com 
mander  Henry  French  ;  the  Keystone  State, 
Commander  Gustavus  H.  Scott ;  the  Crusader, 
Commander  Tunis  A.  M.  Craven  ;  and  the 
Water  Witch,  Commander  William  Roncken- 


First  Trip  South.  129 

dorff,  at  Key  West.  At  this  point  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  notes  :  "  Thankful  to  have  escaped 
the  heavy  gale  experienced  by  all  the  vessels 
fallen  in  with." 

Monday,  August  26th,  was  spent  by  the 
Rhode  Island  at  Key  West  in  coaling  and  get 
ting  ready  for  sea,  and  on  the  following  day 
she  resumed  her  voyage  for  New  York.  On 
the  29th  she  arrived  off  the  bar  at  Savannah, 
where  she  met  the  frigate  St.  Lawrence.  While 
supplying  this  vessel  with  provisions  a  squall 
came  up  which  delayed  operations  an  hour. 
Continuing  her  course  at  6.30  P.M.,  the  Rhode 
Island,  at  midnight,  made  out  the  lights  of  the 
Roanoke  off  Charleston  harbor  and  dropped 
anchor  near  her.  After  "  calling  on  my  friend, 
Commander  Maxwell  Woodhull,  of  the  Con 
necticut"  the  sister  ship  of  the  Rhode  Island, 
bound  for  the  Gulf  with  fresh  supplies,  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  resumed  his  course  for  New 
York. 

When  off  Hatteras  Inlet  he  found  the  Monti- 
cello,  the  Harriet  Lane,  the  Pawnee,  the  George 
Peabody,  and  the  Cumberland,  and  from  the 
people  in  the  last-named  ship  learned  that  the 
forts  guarding  the  Inlet  had  been  captured  by 
the  fleet  under  Flag-Officer  Stringham  on  the 


130 


The  Old  Navy. 


28th.  Standing  on  to  Cape  Henry,  \heRhode 
Island,  at  3  P.M.,  spoke  the  sloop-of-war,  Dale, 
Commander  Edward  M.  Yard,  and  at  6  A.M., 
September  ist,  communicated  with  the  Quaker 
City.  At  1.30  A.M.  on  the  following  day,  the 
lookout  reported  the  lights  at  Atlantic  High 
lands,  and  soon  afterward  the  Rhode  Island  te\\ 
in  with  the  United  States  frigate  Minnesota. 
The  Rhode  Island  arrived  at  the  Brooklyn 
Navy  Yard  that  day  where  the  sick  men  who 
had  been  taken  aboard  from  the  different  ves 
sels  of  the  blockading  squadrons  were  landed. 


CHAPTER    XL 

VERY    ACTIVE    CRUISING. 

LIEUTENANT  TRENCHARD  began 
his  second  trip  South  September  8th, 
touching  at  Hampton  Roads,  where  he  re 
ceived  despatches  for  Flag-Officer  William 
Mervine  and  the  following  instructions  from 
the  Navy  Department  :  "  Upon  the  receipt  of 
the  public  despatches  from  the  Department, 
which  will  be  delivered  to  you  by  a  special  mes 
senger,  you  will  proceed  with  the  U.  S.  steamer 
Rhode  Island  direct  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  re 
porting  yourself  to  Commodore  Mervine,  and 
placing  your  vessel  at  his  disposal.  In  the 
performance  of  this  duty,  your  instructions  will 
not  be  diverted  or  interfered  with  by  any  senior 
officer  to  yourself  whom  you  may  fall  in  with 
prior  to  meeting  with  Commodore  Mervine." 
In  getting  under  way  again  that  evening  the 


i32  The  Old  Navy. 

Rhode  Island  lost  her  anchor  and  fifteen  fath 
oms  of  chain.  In  the  night  a  large  Dutch  steam 
frigate  was  spoken  off  Cape  Henry,  and  at 
noon  on  the  following  day  the  United  States 
sailing  frigate  Potomac  was  boarded.  Late  that 
afternoon  the  Rhode  Island  passed  the  United 
States  steamer  Flag,  which  was  in  full  chase, 
after  a  suspicious-looking  craft  seaward.  At 
dusk  Lieutenant  Trenchard  made  a  large  sail 
inshore,  and  on  drawing  nearer,  the  stranger 
suddenly  fired  a  shot  across  the  Rhode  Islands 
bow.  This  startling  summons  to  heave-to  was 
promptly  obeyed  as  it  was  evident  that  the  lit 
tle  Rhode  Island  was  in  the  presence  of  a  pow 
erful  warship.  A  few  minutes  later  a  boat 
ran  alongside  and  an  officer  stepped  aboard  an 
nouncing  that  his  ship  was  the  United  States 
steam-frigate  Susquehanna.  The  Union  squad 
rons  had  been  unusually  vigilant  as  several 
blockade  runners  recently  had  succeeded  in 
eluding  our  ships,  and  our  officers  did  not  pro 
pose  to  have  it  repeated  ;  hence  the  summary 
call  on  the  Rhode  Island  to  heave-to.  At  nine 
o'clock  that  evening  a  sail  was  made  out  di 
rectly  ahead  which  proved  to  be  a  prize  schooner 
taken  by  the  United  States  steamer  Cambridge. 
Continuing  her  course  southward  the  Rhode 


Very  Active  Cruising.  133 

Island  at  9.45  o'clock  the  following  morning, 
September  I5th,  passed  Carrysford  Reef  Light, 
and  hoisting  her  colors  fired  a  gun.  This  was 
promptly  answered  by  a  display  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  from  the  top  of  the  lighthouse. 
The  brief  reference  to  this  episode  in  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard's  journal  is  full  of  meaning  to 
seamen  and  lighthouse-keepers.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  imagine  a  life  more  lonely  than 
that  of  a  lighthouse-keeper  on  a  reef  far  out 
at  sea.  At  the  same  time  no  sight  brings 
greater  joy  to  the  sailor  than  that  of  the  trusty 
watch-tower  rising  out  of  the  waste  of  waters 
giving  warning  of  dangerous  shoals.  Simple 
as  the  interchange  of  courtesies  between  the 
Rhode  Island  and  the  lighthouse-keeper  on 
Carrysford  Reef  had  been  it  was  a  source  of 
deep  satisfaction  on  both  sides  :  to  the  keeper 
to  see  some  evidences  of  human  life,  and  more 
particularly  to  know  that  Old  Glory  was  still 
floating  on  the  high  seas  (for  the  exaggerated 
reports  of  the  war  that  had  reached  him  from 
Southern  sources  tended  to  the  belief  that  the 
Confederate  ironclads  and  commerce  destroy 
ers  would  sweep  the  Stars  and  Stripes  from 
the  ocean)  ;  and  to  the  people  in  the  Rhode 
Island,  because  it  was  proof  that  in  the  light- 


134  The  Old  Navy. 

house  on  which  mariners  so  much  depended, 
"  All  was  well."  Early  that  same  evening 
the  Rhode  Island  made  the  Sombrero  Light 
house  and  the  same  courtesies  were  exchanged, 
the  keeper  displaying  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
from  the  top  of  the  white  tower,  while  the 
Rhode  Island  saluted. 

At  7.40  P.M.  the  Rhode  Island  stopped  her 
engines  and  fired  a  gun  and  a  rocket  for  a 
pilot.  She  also  used  night-signals  made  with 
costons  and  her  distinguishing  number  with 
lanterns.  Major  French,  U.  S.  A.  put  a  pilot 
on  board  and  soon  afterward  followed  in  per 
son.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  dined  with  Cap 
tain  Breese,  and  the  officers  at  Fort  Taylor  on 
Monday,  September  i6th,  and  on  the  follow 
ing  day  got  under  way  for  Pensacola  making 
that  fort  shortly  after  daylight  September 
1 9th.  Here  he  learned  of  the  gallant  attack 
on  the  Confederate  privateer  Judah  in  the 
harbor  of  Pensacola  which  was  led  by  Lieuten 
ant  John  Henry  Russell,  afterward  Rear- 
Admiral. 

Never  stopping  more  than  a  few  hours  in  her 
hasty  voyages  the  Rhode  Island  left  Pensacola 
on  the  day  of  her  arrival,  and  soon  after  day 
light,  September  2Oth,  made  the  Richmond, 


Very  Active  Cruising.  135 

the  Vincennes  and  the  Water  Witch  at  anchor 
off  Pass  a  1'outre.  These  vessels  were  mak 
ing  preparations  to  occupy  the  Head  of  the 
Passes.  Running  down  to  Southwest  Pass 
where  she  found  the  Niagara,  the  Rhode  Island 
began  her  return  trip,  arriving  at  Pensacola 
September  2ist.  At  this  place  Flag-Officer 
Mervine  desiring  to  visit  Flag-Officer  McKean 
at  the  Head  of  the  Passes,  transferred  his  flag 
from  the  great  frigate  Colorado  to  the  Rhode 
Island,  thus  raising  the  staunch  little  steamer 
to  the  unexpected  dignity  of  a  flagship.  The 
ceremony  of  transferring  the  flag  was  attended 
with  a  good  deal  of  pomp.  The  crews  of  the 
two  vessels  manned  the  yards,  the  seamen  put 
on  their  best  uniforms,  the  officers  donned  their 
full  dress  and  side  arms,  while  the  guns  of  the 
ships  thundered  out  salutes.  Running  down 
to  the  Passes  of  the  Mississippi,  Flag-Officer 
Mervine  exchanged  salutes  with  Flag-Officer 
McKean  in  the  Niagara,  while  Captain  Polk 
of  the  Richmond  was  ordered  aboard  the 
Rhode  Island  and  held  a  conference  with  Flag- 
Officer  Mervine  ;  probably  relative  to  the  pro 
posed  occupation  at  the  Head  of  the  Passes. 

Some  excitement  was  afforded  at  this  place 
by  a   Confederate  steamer   coming  down   the 


The  Old  Navy. 

river:  apparently  with  the  intention  of  running 
the  blockade,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  sent  his 
men  to  quarters,  cleared  the  guns,  and  gave 
chase ;  but  the  Confederates  retired  up  the 
river  before  the  Rhode  Island  could  get  within 
gun-shot. 

On  the  evening  of  September  24th  when 
the  Rhode  Island  was  well  on  her  return  trip 
to  New  York,  a  stranger  was  discovered  off 
the  starboard  bow.  The  Rhode  Island  made 
the  proper  night-signals,  but  on  observing 
them  the  stranger  instantly  put  out  all  her 
lights  and  made  every  effort  to  escape.  This 
confirmed  Lieutenant  Trenchard  in  the  belief 
that  he  was  on  the  track  of  one  of  the  Con 
federate  cruisers  and,  darkening  his  lights  also, 
he  ordered  full  speed  in  the  direction  the 
stranger  had  taken  when  last  seen.  But  in 
spite  of  every  effort  to  keep  the  vessel  insight 
she  was  soon  lost  to  view,  as  the  night  was 
unusually  dark  and  there  were  frequent  squalls 
of  rain. 

Passing  Sand  Key  Light  at  midnight  the 
Rhode  Island,  on  the  following  day,  boarded  the 
mail  steamer  Marion  from  Havana  bound  for 
New  York,  and  spoke  the  English  brig  Cogno 
men  from  Cienfuegos  for  Boston.  While  off 


Very  Active  Cruising.  137 

the  Delaware  the  Rhode  Island  passed  her  sis 
ter  ship  the  supply-steamer  Connecticut  which 
was  just  starting  out  on  her  second  trip  South. 
The  Rhode  Island  arrived  at  the  Brooklyn 
Navy  Yard  September  29th. 

The  first  two  trips  South  showed  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  that  there  was  a  great  demand  for 
ice  among  the  vessels  he  supplied,  and  on  his 
return  North  from  his  second  trip  he  remained 
two  weeks  at  the  navy  yard  having  the  Rhode 
Island's  ice-house  enlarged.  This  work  being 
completed,  he,  for  the  third  time,  turned  south 
ward  on  his  supply  mission,  having  on  board 
as  a  passenger  Mr.  Robert  W.  Shufeldt,  the 
United  States  Consul  General  at  Havana. 
This  orentleman  had  been  a  lieutenant  in  the 

o 

United  States  Navy,  but  resigned  before  the 
war  broke  out  and  commanded  one  of  the 
Collins  line  of  steamers  running  to  Liverpool. 
In  May,  1863,  he  again  received  a  commission 
in  the  Navy  and  commanded  the  Conemaugh  ; 
afterward  he  became  a  rear-admiral.  At  this 
time  the  project  of  erecting  a  fort  at  the  Head 
of  the  Passes  in  the  Mississippi  River  was  un 
der  way,  and  the  Rhode  Island,  stopping  at 
Hampton  Roads,  October  i4th,  by  order  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  took  aboard  a  rifled 


i33  The  Old  Navy. 

8o-pounder  and  a  quantity  of  ammunition  for 
this  battery.  But  the  unfortunate  termination 
of  the  "  affair  of  the  Passes  "  in  which  the  com 
paratively  harmless  ram  Manassas,  with  a  few 
river  boats,  frightened  off  the  Union  Squadron, 
rendered  the  transportation  of  this  gun  unneces 
sary. 

Taking  aboard  a  number  of  officers  who 
desired  to  join  their  ships  in  the  blockading 
squadrons,  and  having  a  quantity  of  ammuni 
tion  aboard  for  the  Monticello,  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  left  Hampton  Roads  October  i5th. 
Thirty  miles  south  of  Cape  Henry  he  boarded 
the  ship  Isabel  of  and  for  Baltimore,  from 
Rotterdam.  Falling  in  with  and  supplying  the 
United  States  steamer  Cambridge  with  fresh 
provisions  near  Cape  Fear  River,  the  James- 
town,  the  Young  Rover,  and  the  Gemsbock,  Oc 
tober  1 7th,  the  Rhode  Island  spoke  the  English 
bark  Elizabeth  of  Liverpool,  and  on  October 
1 8th,  gave  the  ships  Sabine,  Roanoke,  Flag, 
and  Monticello  the  usual  supplies  near  Charles 
ton,  and  the  Savannah  off  Savannah. 

Passing  rapidly  southward,  Lieutenant  Tren 
chard  boarded  the  English  brig  Rosita,  October 
2ist,  and  finding  that  she  was  laden  with  ma 
hogany  for  London,  allowed  her  to  proceed. 


Very  Active  Cruising.  139 

After  coaling  all  night  from  the  United  States 
ship  Fearnaught  at  Key  West,  the  Rhode 
Island,  at  6.30  A.M.,  October  24th,  hastened 
on  her  way  to  St.  Marks,  boarding  the  Ameri 
can  schooner  Aristides  of  Key  West  on  the 
way.  This  vessel  had  a  permit  from  the  com 
manding  naval  officer  to  fish  in  Florida  Bay, 
but  as  she  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
from  that  place,  and  was  coming  from  the  di 
rection  of  Tampa  Bay,  standing  toward  Ap- 
palachicola,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  deemed  the 
circumstances  suspicious,  and  seizing  her,  sent 
her  to  Key  West  in  charge  of  M aster' s-M ate 
Thatcher,  and  a  prize  crew  for  adjudication. 
No  final  decree  was  rendered  in  the  Aristides  s 
case,  but  it  mattered  little  as  the  amount  dis 
tributed  would  have  been  about  $60  among 
the  officers  and  crew  after  deducting  expenses. 
The  Rhode  Island  supplied  the  Montauk 
off  St.  Marks  October  26th,  and  while  endea 
voring  to  do  the  same  for  the  Marion,  the  two 
steamers  came  in  collision  and  both  narrowly 
escaped  sinking.  As  it  was,  the  Rhode  Island 
carried  away  two  of  the  Marions  stern  boats. 
The  accident  was  caused  by  the  steamer  being 
so  much  out  of  trim  that  her  rudder  was  al 
most  out  of  the  water  and  scarcely  affected 


The  Old  Navy. 

her  course.  Leaving  a  boat  to  replace  one 
that  he  had  destroyed,  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
sailed  for  Appalachicola,  supplying  the  Mont 
gomery  en  route. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Rhode  Island  at  Pen- 
sacola,  the  Union  forces  were  found  to  be 
preparing  to  resist  a  night  attack  which  it  was 
thought  the  Confederates  would  make.  Cap 
tain  Bailey,  the  senior  naval  officer  present, 
ordered  the  Rhode  Island  to  run  to  the  east, 
along  Santa  Rosa  Island  within  a  mile  of  the 
beach,  so  as  to  prevent  the  landing  of  Confed 
erate  troops  at  that  point.  The  order  was 
faithfully  carried  out.  The  crew  of  the  Rhode 
Island  remained  in  quarters  all  night,  and 
everything  was  kept  in  readiness  for  immediate 
action.  At  daylight,  October  28th,  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard  returned  to  the  anchorage  and 
after  supplying  the  Colorado  left  for  Mobile, 
arriving  there  at  four  o'clock  that  afternoon. 

Speeding  along  her  course  in  the  Gulf,  the 
Rhode  Island  supplied  the  squadron  off  the 
Passes  of  the  Mississippi.  From  the  Niagara, 
which  had  just  returned  from  Japan  on  a  diplo 
matic  cruise  when  the  war  broke  out,  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  took  aboard  thirty-three 
boxes  containing  presents  from  the  Japanese 


Very  Active  Cruising.  141 

Government  to  the  United  States.  While 
running  from  Galveston  to  Ship  Island  on  her 
return  trip,  the  Rhode  Island,  on  November 
2d,  being  diverted  from  her  course  by  a  strong 
northerly  current,  struck  on  Trinity  Shoal. 
Fortunately,  the  engines  had  been  stopped  a 
few  minutes  before  in  order  to  take  soundings 
so  that  the  shock  was  slight  and  did  no  serious 
injury. 

While  off  the  Southwest  Pass  another  acci 
dent  caused  Lieutenant  Trenchard  great  anx 
iety.  Soon  after  dark,  November  3d,  a  boat 
with  the  paymaster's  clerk  in  it  put  off  from  the 
Rhode  Island  for  the  Niagara  for  the  purpose 
of  obtaining  receipts  for  the  supplies  furnished 
that  vessel.  The  night  was  exceedingly  dark, 
and  owing  to  the  great  strength  of  the  wind 
and  the  tide  the  boat  was  carried  out  to  sea  in 
spite  of  every  exertion  of  her  crew.  As  soon 
as  the  craft  shoved  off  from  the  Rhode  Island 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  noticed  that  it  drifted 
astern  at  a  dangerously  swift  rate,  and  his  fears 
for  the  safety  of  his  men  were  at  once  aroused. 
Waiting  until  eight  o'clock,  when  the  boat  ought 
to  have  returned,  and  learning  nothing  of  its 
fate  Lieutenant  Trenchard  got  the  Rhode  Is 
land  under  way,  and  running  up  to  the  Niagara, 


H2  The  Old  Navy. 

inquired  if  the  boat  had  reached  that  ship. 
Learning  that  it  had  not,  his  anxiety  was 
doubled  and  he  ordered  the  vessel  to  steam 
out  to  sea  in  the  direction  in  which  the  wind 
and  tide  probably  had  carried  the  missing 
boat. 

All  night  long  the  Rhode  Island  steamed 
back  and  forth  over  the  dark  boisterous  sea, 
burning  coston  signal  lights  in  hopes  of  discov 
ering  her  missing  men.  When  day  broke  the 
horizon  was  anxiously  scanned,  but  only  a 
dreary  waste  of  yellowish  water  greeted  the 
eye  on  one  side,  and  the  low  sandy  shores  on 
the  other.  Thinking  that  the  boat  might  have 
regained  the  anchorage  in  the  night,  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard  hastened  back  to  the  Niagara, 
but  learning  that  nothing  had  been  seen  of  it 
he  again  put  out  to  sea,  this  time  going  farther 
out  than  he  did  the  night  before.  But  all  to 
no  purpose.  The  men,  apparently  had  been 
lost.  "  But  at  half  past  three  in  the  after 
noon,"  wrote  Lieutenant  Trenchard,  "  my 
heart  was  gladdened  by  the  report  of  a  gun  to 
attract  our  attention.  We  took  the  hint  and 
returned.  I  was  overjoyed  to  find  that  the 
boat  had  been  discovered  inside  of  our  track, 
and  a  boat  was  sent  to  her  relief  and  brought 


Very  Active  Cruising.  143 

alongside  of  the  Niagara.  I  feel  indeed  truly 
thankful  that  the  boat's  crew  and  officers  had 
returned  in  safety.  The  men  had  spent  the 
night  buffeting  the  waves,  endeavoring  to  re 
gain  their  ship." 

Touching  at  the  Gulf  ports  in  the  same 
order  in  which  she  came,  the  Rhode  Island, 
on  November  6th,  while  at  Pensacola,  took 
aboard  a  number  of  invalids,  and  twenty-four 
prisoners  from  Fort  Pickens,  who  were  to  be 
carried  North.  A  number  of  passengers  also, 
were  aboard,  including  Lieutenants  Russell  and 
Selden  of  the  Colorado,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Creighton  with  other  officers  of  the  Sixth  New 
York  Regiment.  At  Dog  Island,  Lieut.  G. 
W.  Doty  left  the  Rhode  Island  to  relieve 
Lieutenant  Bryant  of  the  Marion,  the  latter 
taking  passage  in  the  Rhode  Island.  A  num 
ber  of  Navy  and  Army  officers  took  passage 
in  the  Rhode  Island  on  this  trip,  among  whom 
were  General  French  and  Lieut.  John  Tattnall 
of  the  Marine  Corps.  Among  the  Army  offi 
cers  was  the  famous  "  Colonel  "  Billy  Wilson 
and  staff,  of  the  Zouaves.  On  leaving  the 
ship  the  "  Colonel  "  presented  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  with  a  gorgeous  chromo  represent 
ing  the  Zouave  commander  in  full  uniform, 


144  The  Old  Navy. 

with  a  camp  of  the  "  Zoo-Zoos"  in  the  back 
ground.  Leaving  Key  West,  November  nth, 
the  Rhode  Island  made  Carrysford  Reef  Light 
early  on  the  following  morning,  and  boarded 
a  Spanish  brig  and  the  American  brig  Moun 
tain  Eagle,  and  spoke  the  United  States 
steamer  Hatteras>  and  the  British  war  steamer 
Steady. 

At  3.30  P.M.,  November  i3th,  while  speak 
ing  the  bark  Kate  Lincoln,  under  English  col 
ors,  off  St.  John's  Bar,  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
sighted  and  gave  chase  to  a  suspicious-looking 
schooner  that,  apparently,  was  endeavoring  to 
get  into  the  port.  The  Rhode  Island  gained 
rapidly,  and  observing  the  danger  the  chase 
was  in,  a  Confederate  steamer  ran  out  to  assist 
her.  Upon  this  Lieutenant  Trenchard  trained 
one  of  his  8-inch  guns  on  the  steamer  and  fired 
with  such  accuracy  that  on  the  third  shot  the 
steamer  put  back  to  cover.  Meantime,  the 
schooner  had  succeeded  in  crossing  the  bar. 
The  Rhode  Island  followed  as  far  as  the  shoal 
ing  water  would  admit,  and  then  heaving-to 
fired  rapidly  at  the  two  vessels,  as  long  as  they 
were  within  reach  of  her  guns. 

Touching  at  Fernandina  and  St.  Simon's 
without  finding  a  vessel  there  the  Rhode  Is- 


Very  Active  Cruising.  145 

land  headed  northward,  and  after  supplying  the 
Savannah  and  the  Augusta  off  Savannah, 
she  visited  the  Union  fleet  at  Port  Royal, 
where  Lieutenant  Trenchard  went  aboard  the 
Wabash  to  offer  his  congratulations  to  Flag- 
Officer  Samuel  Francis  Dupont  for  his  brilliant 
victory  in  capturing  that  important  seaport. 
Commenting  on  the  bombardment  of  Forts 
Walker  and  Beauregard,  Lieutenant  Trench 
ard  says  :  "  Flag-Officer  Dupont  deserves 
the  highest  degree  of  credit  for  the  manner 
in  which  the  attack  was  conducted  and  which 
resulted  in  so  glorious  a  victory.  My  best 
wishes  attend  the  success  of  this  accomplished 
officer  and  his  gallant  command.  I  dined  with 
the  Flag-Officer  and  my  old  friends  Capt. 
Charles  H.  Davis,  Capt.  C.  R.  P.  Rogers,  to 
gether  with  General  French.  After  dinner  we 
all  went  on  shore  and  walked  over  the  works 
at  Hilton  Head,  to  witness  the  effect  of  the 
shot  and  shell.  The  dismounted  guns,  shat 
tered  carriages  and  torn-up  earth  impressed 
us  fully  how  roughly  these  works  had  been 
handled." 

Complying  with  orders  to  take  on  board  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  steamer  Governor, 
which  had  foundered  in  the  terrific  gale,  while 


146  The  Old  Navy. 

on  her  way  to  Port  Royal,  Lieutenant  Trench- 
ard  left  that  place  November  i5th.  He 
spoke  the  United  States  cruiser  Alabama, 
and  the  Susquehanna  off  Charleston.  Con 
tinuing  northward  he  made  Cape  Hatteras 
Light  at  daybreak,  November  i6th.  Off  this 
point  one  of  the  invalid  seamen,  named  Rich 
ard  Tyrell  (who  had  been  taken  aboard  from 
the  Potomac),  in  a  moment  of  delirium  jumped 
overboard.  In  an  instant  the  dreaded  cry, 
"  Man  overboard !  "  resounded  through  the 
ship.  The  engines  were  stopped  and  reversed, 
the  helm  put  hard  a-port,  the  life  buoy  was  cut 
away  and  a  boat  was  lowered.  But  after  a 
long  search  no  trace  of  the  man  could  be 
found.  As  he  had  jumped  from  one  of  the 
forward  ports  it  was  thought  that  the  paddle- 
wheel  had  struck  and  killed  him  instantly. 
Only  a  few  days  before  Tyrell  had  made  an 
attempt  to  kill  himself  by  gashing  his  arm  with 
a  knife. 

Stopping  at  Hampton  Roads  for  a  few  hours 
the  Rhode  Island  again  put  to  sea,  arriving 
in  New  York,  November  igth.  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  notes  that  while  passing  up  the 
Narrows,  his  vessel  was  "  boarded  by  the 
Health  Officer  and  the  Associated  Press  for 


Very  Active  Cruising.  147 

news."  The  next  day  the  Rhode  Island  ran 
into  the  Navy  Yard,  where  Lieutenant  Trench- 
ard  witnessed  the  launch  of  the  Oneida.  The 
sick  and  invalids  were  transferred  to  the 
Naval  Hospital,  while  the  United  States  Mar 
shal  came  aboard  and  took  possession  of  the 
Confederate  Lieutenants,  Cooper  and  Farley, 
with  twenty-three  privates  who  had  been  cap 
tured  by  the  Union  forces  on  Santa  Rosa 
Island,  near  Pensacola. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

ON  THE  ENEMY'S   COAST. 

r  I  "HE  Rhode  Island  in  her  first  three  trips 
JL.  South  had  proved  herself  to  be  such  a  fast 
and  efficient  vessel  that  the  Navy  Department 
determined  to  increase  her  armament  and  while 
she  remained  in  the  Navy  Yard,  November 
2Oth  to  December  5th,  1861,  two  8-inch  guns 
and  a  3<>pounder  Parrott  gun  were  placed 
aboard  her.  On  December  5th,  having  re 
ceived  her  allowance  of  powder,  she  sailed  from 
New  York  with  the  usual  supplies  for  the  block 
ading  squadrons,  taking  aboard  a  Q-inch  gun 
at  Hampton  Roads  for  the  Pawnee  and  a  gun 
carriage  for  the  Pocahontas. 

At  eight  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  Decem 
ber  8th,  just  after  she  had  passed  Hatteras  In 
let,  she  boarded  the  British  schooner  Phantom, 
laden  with  sugar  and  molasses  from  St.  Johns, 

148 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  149 

Antigua,  for  New  York.  As  this  vessel  had 
been  boarded  only  the  day  before  by  the  United 
States  warship  Mount  Vernon,  and  was  warned 
off  the  coast,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  decided  to 
seize  her  and  turn  her  over  to  the  blockading 
squadron  off  Beaufort.  Arriving  off  this  place 
December  Qth,  it  was  decided  to  release  the 
Phantom,  and  after  supplying  several  steamers 
with  provisions,  he  sailed  again  that  day  with 
the  Phantom  in  tow,  casting  her  off  twenty- 
four  miles  south  of  Beaufort.  The  barks  Ar- 
manda  and  Gem,  and  the  frigate  Sabine  off 
Georgetown,  S.  C.,  were  supplied  and  the 
United  States  transport  L.  R.  Spaulding, 
bound  for  Port  Royal  with  troops,  was  spoken 
December  loth. 

While  approaching  Charleston  at  3.30  A.M. 
the  following  day  the  people  of  the  Rhode 
Island  were  startled  by  the  report  of  guns. 
Believing  that  some  battle  was  in  progress, 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  cleared  for  action,  sent 
his  men  to  quarters,  and  cautiously  drew  near 
the  bar.  Exchanging  signals  with  the  block 
ading  squadron,  he  communicated  with  the 
Augusta,  the  Roebuck,  the  Florida,  and  the 
Alabama.  The  guns  which  had  so  alarmed 
the  Rhode  Islands  crew  were  found  to  have 


150  The  Old  Navy. 

been  fired  by  Fort  Sumter  "  in  commemora 
tion  of  some  rebel  rejoicing." 

Getting  under  way  for  Port  Royal  the  Rhode 
Island,  on  December  nth,  passed  the  English 
warship  Racer,  bound  for  New  York.  Sup 
plying  the  flagship  Wabash  at  Port  Royal,  the 
Rhode  Island,  while  endeavoring  to  steam  out 
of  that  harbor  in  the  evening,  when  it  was  too 
dark  to  distinguish  the  buoys,  got  out  of  the 
channel  and  touched  bottom.  Checking  his 
course,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  backed  toward 
the  channel,  as  nearly  as  he  could  judge,  and 
anchored.  As  there  were  only  four  fathoms  of 
water  on  either  side  it  was  decided  to  wait  until 
daybreak  and  the  fires  were  banked.  But  the 
wind,  which  had  been  light  during  theafternoon, 
suddenly  shifted  to  the  northeast  and  by  half 
past  eleven  o'clock  it  was  blowing  half  a  gale, 
which  together  with  the  shallow  water  and  the 
darkness  made  the  Rhode  Islands  position  ex 
tremely  perilous.  Realizing  his  danger,  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  ordered  a  full  head  of  steam, 
but  before  this  had  been  accomplished  his 
cable  parted.  Promptly  dropping  his  port  an 
chor,  he  brought  the  head  of  his  ship  to,  but 
that  chain  also  snapped  the  moment  it  felt  the 
strain. 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  151 

All  this  time  the  ship  was  drifting  among 
the  dangerous  shoals  and  occasionally,  when 
the  recession  of  an  unusually  heavy  wave  caused 
her  to  dip  lower  than  usual,  her  keel  would 
strike  bottom  with  a  shock  that  promised  to 
shake  her  to  pieces  in  a  short  time.  Fortu 
nately  the  engineer  soon  got  up  a  full  head  of 
steam  and  gathered  headway,  finally  enabling 
the  ship  to  regain  deep  water,  although  she 
struck  bottom  a  number  of  times  before  this 
could  be  done. 

After  her  narrow  escape  from  shipwreck  at 
Port  Royal,  the  Rhode  Island  hastened  south 
ward  and  on  December  i4th  boarded  the 
American  schooner  Greenland,  from  Havana 
for  Philadelphia,  laden  with  fruit.  Several 
other  American  and  English  vessels  also  were 
boarded.  One  of  these  was  the  English 
schooner  Julia  from  Port  au  Platte.  From 
her  master  Lieutenant  Trenchard  learned  that 
information  had  reached  Havana  of  the  Sumter 
being  at  Kingston,  St.  Vincent's  Island,  West 
Indies,  and  was  blocked  by  the  Iroquois.  From 
the  other  vessels  coming  from  Havana,  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  learned  that  two  schooners 
and  a  steamer  laden  with  cotton  and  rice  had 
run  the  blockade  at  New  Orleans  and  arrived 


152  The  Old  Navy. 

at  Havana  in  safety  under  Confederate 
colors. 

After  speaking  the  bark  Citizen  from  Aspin- 
wall  for  New  York  the  Rhode  Island,  on  the 
afternoon  of  December  i5th,  while  off  Carrys- 
ford  Reef,  boarded  the  English  brig  Alteta, 
from  Matanzas  to  Baltimore,  whose  master  re 
ported  that  a  Confederate  schooner  flying  the 
English  flag  had  left  Matanzas  without  "  regis 
ter  or  clearance."  The  Rhode  Island  reached 
Key  West  December  I7th,  where  she  spent 
several  days  coaling  and  repairing  her  ma 
chinery.  During  this  time  Lieutenant  Trench- 
ard  notes  that  he  dined  with  Judge  Marvin's 
family,  and  that  a  number  of  ladies  and  gen 
tlemen,  including  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Herrick, 
Miss  Johnson,  Miss  Haley,  and  Miss  Pinckney 
of  Key  West,  took  tea  aboard  the  Rhode 
Island. 

Leaving  the  Richmond,  the  Wanderer,  and 
the  Guard  at  this  place,  the  Rhode  Island,  on 
December  2Oth,  supplied  the  United  States 
ship  Ethan  Allen  at  Tampa,  and  the  steamer 
Montauk  at  St.  Marks,  and  the  Marion  and 
the  Hatteras  at  Appalachicola,  where  Lieu 
tenant  Trenchard  notes  "  Young  Etting,  who 
had  come  out  with  me,  left  the  ship  to  join 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  153 

Captain  Doty  as  his  clerk.  Paymaster  Gil- 
man  [lately  Pay  Director  of  the  United  States 
Navy],  late  of  the  Marion,  joined  this  vessel 
for  passage  to  the  Santee"  At  Pensacola  the 
Rhode  Island  supplied  the  South  Carolina  and 
the  Cuyler ;  at  Mobile  the  Potomac  and  the 
Huntsville,  and  at  Ship  Island  and  mouths  of 
the  Mississippi,  the  Niagara,  the  Preble,  the 
Water  Witch,  the  New  London,  the  Massachu 
setts,  the  Wissahickon,  the  Pampiro,  the  Mis 
sissippi,  the  Kingfisher,  and  the  Vincennes.  At 
Northeast  Pass,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes, 
"  Received  from  the  Vincennes  Lieutenant 
Clark,  to  join  the  Santee,  and  Acting  Master 
Davis,  an  invalid  for  home." 

Christmas,  1861,  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  was 
a  bright,  mild  and  pleasant  day.  Two  hours 
after  midnight,  the  Rhode  Island  fell  in  with 
the  Colorado,  at  anchor  off  Southwest  Pass, 
and  furnished  her  with  the  usual  supplies  of 
fresh  provisions,  letters,  papers,  etc.,  which 
were  most  acceptable  Christmas  gifts.  The 
cold  comforts  of  a  Christmas  at  sea,  off  a  hos 
tile  coast,  and  thousands  of  miles  from  loved 
ones  at  home,  was  made  doubly  disagreeable 
aboard  the  Rhode  Island  this  year  by  her  nar 
rowly  escaping  shipwreck.  She  met  the 


154  The  Old  Navy. 

United  States  steamer  De  Soto  off  Barataria 
at  10.20  A.M.  and  gave  her  the  usual  supplies, 
and  then  hastened  on  her  errand  of  good 
cheer.  When  off  the  Light  on  Ship  Island 
Shoal  at  4.15  that  afternoon,  she  struck  bot 
tom.  The  shock  was  felt  by  everyone  in  the 
vessel  and  fears  of  a  serious  disaster  were  en 
tertained.  The  accident  was  the  fault  of  no 
one  aboard,  for  at  the  time  the  light-house 
was  fully  seven  miles  away  and  according  to 
the  latest  charts  there  was  plenty  of  water  for 
the  vessel  on  the  course  the  ship  had  been 
holding.  The  ever-shifting  sands  in  this  part 
of  the  Gulf,  however,  made  navigation  within 
sight  of  land  always  a  risky  undertaking,  and 
the  navigators  in  the  Rhode  Island  found  it  so 
on  more  than  one  occasion.  Fortunately,  im 
mediately  after  touching,  the  Rhode  Island  ran 
into  deep  water  and,  standing  out  to  sea,  she 
got  into  safe  quarters  again.  Just  before  and 
after  she  touched,  the  lead  showed  five 
fathoms. 

On  the  following  day,  December  26th,  there 
was  an  exciting  chase  and  capture.  Early  in 
the  morning,  while  in  Latitude  28°  north,  and 
Longitude  93°  15'  west,  a  sail  was  discovered, 
and  the  steamer  was  promptly  headed  toward 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  155 

it.  There  was  nothing  unusual  in  sighting  a 
vessel  in  that  part  of  the  Gulf,  but  the  in 
structions  of  the  Department,  to  speak  to 
every  craft  sighted,  were  imperative.  As  the 
Rhode  Island  gained  upon  the  stranger,  it  was 
seen  that  she  was  a  schooner,  and  from  her 
extraordinary  efforts  to  increase  her  speed  the 
belief  prevailed  that  she  was  a  Confederate 
blockade-runner.  The  Rhode  Island  was 
cleared  for  action,  and  the  men  were  sent  to 
quarters.  In  a  short  time  the  Union  vessel 
ran  alongside  of  the  schooner,  and  firing  a 
shot  across  her  bow  gave  her  the  order  to 
heave-to.  This  was  done  with  evident  reluc 
tance  on  the  part  of  the  stranger's  people,  and 
on  boarding  she  was  found  to  be  the  Confed 
erate  schooner  Venus,  from  Point  Isabel, 
Texas,  bound  for  Franklin,  Va.,  laden  with 
lead,  copper,  tin,  and  wool.  The  commander 
and  crew  of  the  Venus  were  transferred  to  the 
Rhode  Island,  and  a  prize  crew  under  the  com 
mand  of  Master  William  Williams  being  sent 
aboard,  the  Venus  was  ordered  to  Ship  Island. 
That  night,  the  weather  being  heavy,  the 
Rhode  Island  circled  round  and  round  until 
daylight,  when  she  put  into  Galveston  and 
supplied  the  Santee  and  the  bark  Midnight. 


156  The  Old  Navy. 

Lieutenant  John  E.  Hart,  Paymaster  Augus 
tus  H.  Gilman,  Acting  Master  Rogers,  and 
Midshipman  Miller  were  put  aboard  the  for 
mer,  and  Lieutenant  James  Edward  Jouett 
[the  present  Rear- Admiral  Jouett]  came 
aboard  as  a  passenger  to  join  their  ship,  the 
Montgomery,  which  was  met  the  following  day, 
when  Commander  T.  Danah  Shaw  and  Lieut. 
Charles  Hunter  came  on  board  as  passengers. 

While  in  sight  of  Ship  Island,  on  her  return 
trip,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes  that  he  met 
the  De  Soto,  towing  the  French  war-steamer 
Nidan :  ''that  she  had  accidentally  got  a-foul 
of  and  injured  very  badly."  At  Pensacola  the 
Rhode  Island  received  on  board,  as  passengers, 
Commander  James  Alden,  Lieutenant  Samuel 
R.  Knox,  several  officers  from  the  Cuyler, 
six  Confederate  deserters,  and  six  discharged 
Union  soldiers.  At  this  time  Fort  Pickens 
was  keeping  up  an  animated  fire  on  a  small 
Confederate  steamer  near  the  Navy  Yard, 
which  had  ventured  within  range.  The  Con 
federate  batteries  promptly  responded,  and 
for  a  few  minutes  there  was  a  lively  but  harm 
less  cannonading. 

Touching  at  the  usual  ports,  the  Rhode 
Island  supplied  the  vessels  at  those  points 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  157 

and  arrived  at  Key  West,  January  6,  1862. 
While  at  Tampa,  two  days  before,  Felix  Mo 
Cann,  a  seaman  who  had  lost  his  mind  by 
sickness,  jumped  overboard,  but  a  boat-party 
being  promptly  lowered,  he  was  rescued.  From 
Key  West  the  Rhode  Island  made  her  way  rap 
idly  North,  supplying  the  Bienville,  off  St. 
John's  Bar,  her  commander,  Captain  Steed- 
man,  breakfasting  with  Lieutenant  Trenchard. 

Stopping  at  Port  Royal,  Lieutenant  Trench 
ard  called  on  Flag-Officer  Dupont,  and  then 
went  on  shore  to  visit  the  fort  on  Hilton  Head. 
After  enjoying  the  magnificent  view  afforded 
at  this  point,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  visited  the 
little  church  and  the  cemetery,  and  remarked 
on  the  "horrid  acts  of  vandalism,  its  dese 
cration  by  tearing  up  its  pews  and  breaking  in 
a  tomb,  and  its  sad  appearance."  While  at 
this  place  the  Rhode  Island 's  sister  ship,  the 
Connecticut,  Capt.  Maxwell  Woodhull,  arrived 
on  her  trip  South. 

Continuing  northward,  the  Rhode  Island 
passed  a  number  of  Union  warships  from 
which  she  took  mails.  At  Hampton  Roads 
she  met  the  venerable  frigate  Constitution, 
which  came  into  port  with  two  thousand  sol 
diers  aboard,  who  on  passing  the  Rhode  Island 


158  The  Old  Navy. 

gave  three  hearty  cheers.  Thus,  even  in  her 
old  age,  grand  Old  Ironsides  showed  that  she 
had  not  outlived  her  usefulness.  Trenchard's 
experiences  with  the  Constitution  had  been  of 
the  most  agreeable  nature.  It  was  on  August 
6,  1838,  while  at  Pensacola,  that  he  received 
from  Captain  James  Mclntosh,  then  command 
ing  the  historic  frigate,  the  following  letter  of 
dismissal  :  "  It  affords  me  pleasure  to  bear 
testimony  to  your  correct  and  gentlemanly 
deportment  while  under  my  command,  and 
you  have  my  best  wishes  for  your  safe  return 
to  your  friends,  and  for  your  advancement  in 
your  professional  pursuits."  Ten  years  later 
young  Trerichard  was  one  of  the  survivors  of 
the  surveying  vessel  Washington,  wrecked  on 
the  coast  of  North  Carolina  in  1846,  and  was 
rescued  by  the  Constitution.  Some  of  the 
men  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  were 
brought  aboard  the  Rhode  Island  for  trans 
portation  North.  Among  them  were  Dr.  King, 
of  Newport,  and  his  son,  just  graduated  from 
college,  who  had  enlisted  as  a  private  in 
Sprague's  R.  I.  artillery.  Instead  of  going  to 
New  York  this  trip,  the  Rhode  Island  made 
for  Philadelphia.  William  E.  Jackson  was  the 
pilot  whom  Lieutenant  Trenchard  took  aboard 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  159 

at  Cape  Henlopen.  Off  Newcastle,  the  engines 
were  stopped  so  as  to  give  time  for  sheathing 
the  bow,  as  a  protection  against  the  ice  which 
filled  the  river  at  that  time. 

It  is  difficult  for  men  having  permanent 
homes,  and  whose  occupations  do  not  require 
prolonged  absences,  to  appreciate  the  joy  at 
tending  a  sailor's  return  from  a  voyage  and 
finding  his  family  safe  and  well,  especially  when 
he  has  been  exposed  not  only  to  the  perils  of 
the  sea,  but  to  the  attacks  of  a  daring  and  skilful 
enemy.  No  harm  can  be  done  at  this  late 
day  in  divulging  one  of  the  secrets  of  the  naval 
service  during  the  Civil  War.  It  has  been  a 
rule  of  long  standing,  that  no  officer  in  his  pri 
vate  correspondence  shall  divulge  the  impor 
tant  occurrences  that  take  place  aboard  his 
vessel,  or  give  information  of  her  intended 
movements.  This  rule  was  rigidly  enforced 
during  the  Civil  War,  as  newspaper  correspon 
dents  swarmed  everywhere,  and  its  strict  ob 
servance  would  have  prevented  our  officers 
from  informing  their  families  at  which  port  the 
ship  would  stop  on  their  return  trip. 

The  vessels  of  the  United  States  Navy 
returning  North  from  1861—1865  remained  in 
port  only  a  short  time,  and  were  hurried  off  to 


160  The  Old  Navy. 

sea,  so  that  a  few  days  meant  a  great  deal  to 
them.  Some  of  the  officers,  whose  names  will 
not  be  mentioned,  evaded  this  rule  in  a  harm 
less  way  by  a  secret  code  with  their  families. 
For  instance,  when  the  officer  learned  that  his 
ship  was  to  return  to  Boston,  instead  of 
New  York  (the  port  from  which  they  sailed  , 
they  telegraphed  to  their  families  at  the  first 
opportunity  the  seemingly  insignificant  dis 
patch,  "  All's  well."  But  in  the  family  code 
it  read  :  "  Our  ship  will  return  to  Boston.  Be 
there  when  we  arrive."  Or,  if  Philadelphia 
was  to  be  the  return  port,  the  message  might 
have  been,  "  In  best  of  health,"  which  being 
interpreted  meant,  "  Go  to  Philadelphia." 

It  has  not  been  said  that  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  employed  such  a  code,  but  the 
Rhode  Island  left  New  York  on  this  trip  South 
December  5,  1861,  and  when  she  reached 
the  Navy  Yard  at  Philadelphia,  January  17, 
1862,  on  her  return  trip  we  find  the  fact  re 
corded  in  Lieutenant  Trenchard's  journal,  as 
follows  :  "  Reached  the  Navy  Yard  at  Philadel 
phia  at  4  P.M.  and  took  tea  at  home,  and  finding 
all  well,  for  which  and  my  safe  return  to  them 
I  feel  more  grateful  to  the  Kind  Giver  of  all 
good  things  than  I  am  able  to  express,  and  I 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  161 

think  each  returning  voyage  should  re-awaken 
in  me  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  continued 
blessings  and  favors." 

The  care  taken  by  the  Government  during 
the  war  to  keep  the  movements  of  its  vessels 
secret,  was  shown  when  the  Rhode  Island 
was  at  Philadelphia.  Several  Union  vessels 
were  captured  in  the  course  of  the  war  by  dar 
ing  bands  of  Confederates  who  had  learned 
of  their  intended  movements.  The  capture  of 
the  Rhode  Island,  with  her  invaluable  cargo 
of  fresh  provisions,  would  have  been  a  more  seri 
ous  loss  to  the  blockading  squadrons  than  the 
capture  of  one  of  the  gunboats.  The  Govern 
ment  at  first  was  to  a  considerable  extent  sus 
picious  of  its  own  men.  The  news  of  more 
than  one  important  expedition  had  been  for 
warded  to  the  leaders  of  the  Confederacy  by 
some  traitor  wearing  the  blue,  and  the  depart 
ment  was  constantly  in  fear  of  a  repetition  of 
this  treachery.  With  a  view  of  throwing  such 
miscreants  off  the  scent,  orders  were  tele 
graphed  to  the  Rhode  Island,  January  17,  1862, 
to  sail  for  Boston,  but  on  the  following  day  the 
orders  were  secretly  revoked,  and  on  February 
5th,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  began  his  fifth  trip 
South.  Rear  Admiral  Dupont  followed  this 


1 62  The  Old  Navy. 

up  with  this  note  :  "  You  will  not  mention  your 
destination  or  its  object  to  any  one  on  your 
ship  or  to  any  one  off  Charleston,  as  I  desire 
it  should  not  be  known  to  any  one  but  the 
Senior  officer  present." 

The  minute  care  with  which  his  instructions 
were  made  out  showed  how  important  the 
Government  considered  the  service.  On 
February  ist  the  following  orders  were  sent 
to  Lieutenant  Trenchard  : 

J   "  FEBRUARY  i,  1862. 

"  On  your  next  trip  you  will  supply  all  vessels 
belonging  to  the  North  and  South  Atlantic, 
and  Gulf-blockaded  squadrons  which  you  may 
fall  in  with  south  of  Cape  Hatteras,  giving 
them  such  stores  as  they  may  need  in  moderate 
quantities,  and  will  furnish  fresh  beef  and  vege 
tables  for  their  officers  and  men,  not  exceed 
ing  a  three  days'  supply  going  out.  After 
supplying  the  last  vessel  on  the  outward  trip, 
the  paymaster  will  estimate  the  quantity  of 
fresh  beef  and  vegetables  remaining,  and  the 
commanding  officer  will  direct  the  same  to  be 
apportioned  and  delivered  as  equally  as  possi 
ble  to  the  different  vessels  which  will  probably 
need  supplies  on  the  return  trip.  Moderate 
quantities  of  ice  may  be  furnished  the  vessels 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  163 

without  charge,  care  being  taken  that  sufficient 
be  kept  to  preserve  the  beef.  The  bread  in 
your  cargo  will  be  issued  to  vessels  needing  it, 
but  not  landed  until  your  return  to  Key  West. 
H.  BRIDGE,  Chief  of  the  Bureau" 

The  Rhode  Island  left  Philadelphia,  Feb 
ruary  5th,  with  a  larger  supply  of  provisions 
than  usual.  Touching  at  Hampton  Roads 
and  Hatteras  Inlet  she,  on  the  night  of  Feb 
ruary  8th,  while  near  Ocracoke  Inlet,  began 
firing  rockets  and  burning  night-signals  which 
were  finally  answered  by  the  United  States 
steamer  State  of  Georgia,  which  vessel  was 
supplied  with  fresh  provisions.  The  United 
States  bark  Restless  was  supplied  off  Bull's  Bay, 
February  loth,  and  at  noon  the  squadron 
blockading  Charleston  received  its  quota  of 
fresh  provisions.  On  the  same  day  chase  was 
given  to  a  suspicious  sail,  but  on  boarding  it 
was  found  to  be  the  schooner  Bell  Peck  from 
Hilton  Head  for  New  York  in  ballast.  While 
at  Port  Royal  Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes 
that  besides  supplying  the  Florida,  the  Sus- 
quehanna  and  the  Mohican,  he  also  furnished 
"  the  marine  battalion  with  fresh  provisions." 

As   the    Rhode  Island  was   leaving    Stono 


i64  The  Old  Navy. 

Inlet  on  the  night  of  February  i2th,  a  sail 
was  discovered  on  the  port  tack,  standing  for 
the  land.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes  :  "  As 
the  stranger  was  off  the  inlet  at  the  time,  it 
was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  vessel  was 
attempting  to  run  the  blockade.  We  promptly 
gave  chase  and  steamed  up  to  the  highest 
point  consistent  with  safety.  Finding  that  the 
steamer  was  gaining  on  her  but  slowly,  the 
schooner,  after  half  an  hour,  was  fired  at  from 
one  of  our  forward  guns  with  the  intention  of 
bringing  her  to.  This  had  the  desired  effect, 
for  she  tacked,  showed  her  light  and  stood  for 
us.  Upon  boarding  her,  she  proved  to  be  the 
United  States  ship  Onward  attached  to  the 
blockade  off  Saint  Simons.  She  should  have 
run  for  us  soon  as  we  hove  in  sight  instead  of 
running  away  ;  an  extraordinary  way  of  con 
ducting  operations  !  Her  commander  threat 
ened,  that  if  we  had  fired  another  shot  he  would 
have  returned  it."  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
concludes  rather  testily  "  he  declined  receiving 
supplies."  On  the  following  day  the  Rhode 
Island  fell  in  with  and  supplied  the  United 
States  steamer  Bienville.  Commander  Charles 
Steedman  came  aboard  the  Rhode  Island  and 
breakfasted  with  Lieutenant  Trenchard  and 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  165 

also  reported,  "having  been  compelled  to  fire 
a  shot  to  get  the  Onward  to  come  within 
communicating  distance  only  a  day  or  two 
ago." 

Among  other  vessels  boarded  by  the  Rhode 
Island  at  this  point  and  at  Key  West  was  the 
steamer  Saxon  off  Carrysford  Reef  from  the 
Charleston  Navy  Yard  laden  with  Government 
stores  bound  for  Ship  Island.  February  i  7th 
was  spent  at  Key  West,  and  being  the  anni 
versary  of  Lieutenant  Trenchard's  wife's  birth 
day,  he  celebrated  the  occasion  by  giving  a 
dinner-party  aboard  his  ship.  At  eight  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  February  igth,  the  Rhode 
Island  anchored  off  Cedar  Keys.  Rockets 
were  sent  up,  a  gun  was  fired,  coston  signals 
were  burned,  the  Rhode  Islands  number,  333, 
was  displayed,  and  everything  was  done  to  at 
tract  the  attention  of  the  blockading  vessels. 

o 

The  signal  was  answered,  but  no  other  demon 
stration  was  made. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  journal  will  give  an 
idea  of  this  service. 

Lieutenant    Trenchard    notes : 

"  THURSDAY,  February  20,  1862. 

"  Squally  weather,  with  occasional  showers 
of  rain,  with  thick  weather  during  the  early 


1 66  The  Old  Navy. 

part  of  the  day.  Latter  part  more  pleasant. 
Got  under  way,  and  stood  nearer  in-shore. 
Discovered  the  United  States  steamer  Tacoma 
at  anchor  in-shore  of  us,  and  at  meridian  Lieu 
tenant  Grossman  and  Mr.  Potter  came  out  with 
two  boats  to  receive  their  supplies,  and  then 
returned,  taking  Mr.  Hennessy,  paymaster, 
who  came  out  to  join  the  Tacoma.  At  2.40 
P.M.  got  under  way  for  St.  Marks." 

"  FRIDAY,  February  21,  1862. 

"  Wind  from  the  north  and  east  and  cloudy, 
with  rain  during  the  night.  At  12.40  A.M.  an 
chored  off  St.  Marks,  and  sent  up  two  rock 
ets  which  were  not  answered.  Got  under  way 
soon  after  daylight,  and  made  the  United 
States  steamer  Montauk.  Stood  for  her,  and 
reached  her  at  7.20  A.M.,  and  soon  afterward 
supplied  her  and  stood  for  Dog  Island,  an 
choring-  off  there  at  i  P.M.  The  United  States 
t> 

steamer  Sagamore  came  out.  At  2. 10  P.M.  sup 
plied  her,  and  at  3  P.M.  left  for  Appalachicola, 
arriving  here  at  7  P.M.  Made  fast  to  the  United 
States  ship  Marion  ;  supplied  her  as  well  as  a 
bark.  Gave  the  Marion  one  of  our  quarter 
boats,  and  left  at  9.50  P.M." 

The   Rhode    Island  arrived    off    Pensacola 
February  22d,  when  she,  with  the  other  Union 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  167 

ships  off  that  port,  fired  a  salute  in  honor  of 
Washington's  Birthday.  The  next  day  she 
arrived  at  Ship  Island,  and  anchored  near  the 
Hartford,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  calling  on 
Flag-Officer  Farragut  and  Flag-Officer  Wil 
liam  B.  McKean.  The  Union  squadron  at 
this  place  consisted  of  the  Hartford,  the  Niag- 
ara,ihe  New  London,  the  Nightingale,  the  South 
Carolina,  the  Water  Witch,  the  Pampiro,  and 
the  Sciota.  The  Rhode  Island  took  on  board 
the  cargo  of  the  prize  schooner  /.  G.  McNeil, 
which  consisted  of  tobacco  and  coffee. 

At  4.50  A.M.,  the  people  in  the  Union  fleet 
discovered  a  schooner  which,  from  her  peculiar 
action,  was  thought  to  be  a  blockade  runner. 

Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes  :  "  We  made 
the  schooner  on  the  port  quarter,  apparently 
running  out  from  the  Pass.  We  got  under 
way  as  rapidly  as  possible  and  gave  chase,  los 
ing  sight  of  her  for  a  time,  but  regaining  it 
soon  after  daylight  in-shore  of  us.  The  Wi- 
nona  also  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  schooner. 
The  Brooklyn  had  got  under  way,  and  was  di 
rected  by  signal  to  chase  to  the  east.  The 
order  was  at  once  obeyed.  But  the  chase 
proved  to  be  a  tender  attached  to  the  squad 
ron  called  the  Guard." 


1 68  The  Old  Navy. 

While  passing  Galveston  on  the  night  of 
February  27th,  the  gallant  Rhode  Islanders 
were  again  thrown  into  a  fever  of  anticipated 
battle  by  the  discovery  of  lights  in-shore  of 
them,  "  like  those  of  a  steamer."  The  men 
were  quickly  sent  to  quarters,  and  every  prep 
aration  was  made  to  add  another  to  the  long 
list  of  glorious  naval  victories  for  the  Stars 
and  Stripes.  But,  on  closer  examination,  the 
Rhode  Islanders  were  chagrined  on  finding 
out  that  the  lights  were  not  those  of  a  steamer 
at  all,  but  were  beacon-lights  on  shore. 

Taking  aboard  some  prisoners  from  the 
United  States  barks,  Arthur  and  Midnight,  off 
Aransas  Pass,  February  28th,  the  Rhode  Isl- 
and continued  on  her  course  for  the  Rio  Grande, 
arriving  there  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day, 
and  finding  the  United  States  sloop-of-war 
Portsmouth  on  guard.  This  was  the  longest 
trip  the  supply-steamer  had  yet  made,  having 
covered  three  thousand  miles  in  her  passage 
from  New  York  and  skirting  the  entire  sea- 
coast  of  the  rebelling  States. 

Taking  on  board  seventeen  prisoners,  two 
invalids,  a  quantity  of  sugar  and  tobacco  which 
the  Portsmouth  had  captured,  the  Rhode  Island 
began  her  return  voyage  March  ist.  Keeping 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  169 

the  Texan  coast  from  three  to  five  miles  dis 
tant,  the  steamer  touched  at  Galveston,  Sabine 
Pass,  and  on  March  3d  supplied  the  Hatter  as, 
Commander  George  F.  Emmons.  On  the 
next  day  a  number  of  prisoners  were  taken 
aboard  from  the  De  Soto.  The  usual  supplies 
were  furnished  to  the  blockading  squadrons 
off  the  Passes  of  the  Mississippi. 

Off  Ship  Island  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
notes  :  "  The  remains  of  the  late  Paymaster, 
Charles  E.  Hammond,  of  the  Sciota,  were 
brought  on  board  to  be  taken  home.  This 
gentleman  was  accidentally  killed  by  his  re 
volver  going  off  in  his  own  hands,  inflicting  a 
wound  which  proved  to  be  fatal.  The  death 
of  this  estimable  gentleman  has  been  greatly 
deplored  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  to  whom 
he  had  warmly  attached  himself  by  his  true 
piety  and  manliness  of  character."  Under  the 
same  date  Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes  :  "  Paid 
a  visit  to  my  friend,  Commander  James  Alden, 
of  the  Richmond,  and  met  Lieutenant  Charles 
Hunter,  who  came  out  in  the  Richmond  to 
join  the  Montgomery. 

Off  Pensacola  the  Rhode  Island  supplied  the 
Mississippi  and  received  the  mails  from  Fort 
Pickens.  Shortly  after  midnight,  March  I3th, 


1 70  The  Old  Navy. 

just  after  the  Rhode  Island  had  left  Key  West 
north  bound,  she  spoke  the  schooner  Nar- 
ragansett  of  Fall  River  from  Philadelphia  with 
coal,  and  at  daybreak  the  bark  R.  R.  Walker, 
of  Boston,  nine  days  from  Cienfuegos  for  New 
York  laden  with  sugar,  and  the  British  brig  Ann 
Johnson  of  and  for  Greenock  from  Matanzas. 
While  endeavoring  to  run  into  Fernandina, 
March  I4th,  the  Rhode  Island  ran  aground  but 
soon  afterward  succeeded  in  getting  off.  She 
then  dropped  anchor,  but  in  swinging  around 
in  the  strong  tide  the  ship  came  about  with 
so  much  force  that  the  shoe  of  the  fore  foot 
was  carried  away.  Early  on  the  morning  of 
March  i5th,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  breakfasted 
with  Flag-Officer  Dupont  aboard  the  Wabash 
at  St.  Augustine.  On  the  same  day  John 
Crawford  an  ordinary  seaman  of  the  Rhode 
Island  died.  Funeral  services  were  held  over 
his  remains  the  next  day  when  the  ship  reached 
Hampton  Roads  where  they  were  taken  ashore 
and  buried.  Touching  at  Port  Royal,  where 
she  took  aboard  the  mails,  the  Rhode  Island 
passed  Cape  Hatteras,  March  i7th,  and  arrived 
at  Hampton  Roads  eight  days  after  the  fear 
ful  experience  of  the  Union  fleet  with  the 
ironclad  Merrimac. 


On  the  Enemy's  Coast.  171 

The  following  were  the  officers  of  the  Rhode 
Island  in  1862  : 

Commander,  Stephen  Decatur  Trenchard  ; 
Acting  Masters,  William  Williams,  T.  N.  Myer; 
Acting  Ensigns,  Samuel  H.  Field,  Albert 
Taylor;  Paymaster,  Richard  Hall  Douglass; 
Assistant  Surgeon,  Samuel  G.  Webb  ;  Acting 
First  Assistant  Engineer,  John  F.  McCutchen  ; 
Acting  Third  Assistant  Engineer,  George  H. 
Rutter  ;  Engineers,  Joseph  C.  Lavis,  Green 
ville  Lavis,  Anthony  French,  Isaac  C.  Marsh  ; 
Acting  Masters'  Mates,  E.  W.  Watson,  Lemuel 
Pope,  William  H.  H.  Stevens,  Daniel  R. 
Brown,  and  William  Rogers  ;  Captain's  Clerk, 
F.  C.  T.  Beck  ;  Paymaster's  Clerk,  Frank  H. 
Deal. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

AN    EXPERIENCE    WITH    THE    "  MERRIMAC." 

IT  was  on  her  sixth  trip  South  that  the 
Rhode  Island  had  an  exciting  experience 
with  the  famous  Confederate  ironclad  Merri- 
mac.  The  Rhode  Island  left  Philadelphia 
April  5th,  arriving  at  Hampton  Roads  two 
days  later.  At  this  time  the  dreaded  Merri- 
mac  was  expected  any  moment  down  Elizabeth 
River,  and  Lieutenant  Trenchard  received 
orders  from  Flag-Officer  Goldsborough  to  be 
prepared  for  her.  Rear-Admiral  Thomas 
Stowell  Phelps,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  has 
furnished  the  writer  an  interesting  account  of 
the  preparations  made  by  the  Rhode  Island and 
other  Union  vessels  in  Hampton  Roads  at  that 
time  to  attack  the  Merrimac.  Rear- Admiral 
Phelps  was  present  at  the  time. 

"  The  results  of  the  actions  on  the  8th  and 
172 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     173 

gth  of  March,  1862,  having  conclusively  de 
monstrated  the  impotency  of  shells  and  solid 
shot  against  the  iron-clad  enemy,  determined 
the  Flag-Officer  to  subject  the  chances  of 
victory  to  the  crushing  power  of  the  vessels 
composing  the  United  States  fleet  in  Hampton 
Roads,  and  only  in  case  of  failure  by  impact 
were  guns  of  any  description  to  enter  into  the 
problem,  beyond  attending  to  her  consorts, 
numbering  six  Confederate  steamers  of  various 
sizes  and  armaments.  The  apparently  reliable 
information  received  from  Norfolk  through 
public  prints,  refugees,  and  private  sources, 
'  that  as  soon  as  the  repairs  of  the  Merrimac 
were  completed  Commodore  Tattnall  would 
immediately  proceed  to  attack  or  disperse  the 
Federal  fleet  before  Old  Point,  and  perhaps 
capture  Fortress  Monroe,'  confirmed  the  Flag- 
Officer  in  his  plan  of  attack  ;  and  in  its  execu 
tion  every  available  resource  at  his  command 
was  centred  in  the  one  great  object — the  Merri 
mac  s  utter  ruin  ;  and  under  no  consideration 
were  any  side  issues  detrimental  to  success  to 
be  permitted  to  interfere  with  the  accomplish 
ment  of  a  project  of  such  vital  importance  : 
hence  the  capture  of  three  small  merchant 
vessels  by  the  enemy  was  permitted,  as  any 


174  The  Old  Navy. 

preventive  effort  in  that  direction  would  have 
seriously  militated  against  the  inaugurated 
scheme,  and  probably  rendered  it  abortive. 

44  During  the  short  period  intervening  be 
tween  March  8th  and  April  gth,  the  Navy 
Department  had  not  been  idle,  and  having 
strengthened  the  fleet  to  the  extent  of  its 
ability,  the  Flag-Officer,  by  the  gth  of  April, 
was  prepared  to  meet  his  antagonists  with  a 
force  numbering  about  twenty-five  unarmored 
vessels,  composed  in  part  of  the  Minnesota,  the 
Susquehanna,)  the  Dakota,  the  Seminole,  the 
San  Jacinto,  the  Odorara,  the  Wachusett,  the 
Aroostook,  the  Maratanza,  with  others,  including 
several  ninety-day  gunboats,  and  the  chartered 
steamers  Vanderbilt,  Oriole,  Aroga,  Rhode 
Island,  Illinois,  Ericson,  and  three  others  of 
approximate  tonnage  (all  ocean  steamships), 
besides  several  others  of  lighter  draft.  In  addi 
tion  to  these  were  the  Monitor  and  the  Stevens, 
the  latter  a  small,  experimental  iron-clad  boat, 
carrying  one  heavy  gun.  There  was  also  the 
Baltimore,  a  light-river  side-wheeler  of  great 
speed  and  curved  bow,  drawing  only  six  inches 
forward  and  six  feet  aft,  held  in  the  front  for 
the  purpose  of  being  forced  upon  one  of  the 
nearly  submerged  ends  of  the  Merrimac,  if 


Experience  with  the  u  Merrimac."     175 

possible,  either  forward  or  abaft  the  super 
structure,  according  to  circumstances,  in  order 
to  render  the  ironclad  immovable,  and  while 
thus  held  she  was  to  be  rammed  by  vessels  of 
the  Union  fleet. 

"  The  fleet  was  anchored  in  two  columns,  the 
leading  ships,  the  Minnesota  and  the  Vanderbilt, 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  eastward  from  Fort 
Monroe,  and  the  others  in  close  order  accord 
ing  to  their  size  and  power  ;  the  right  wing 
being  wholly  made  up  of  merchant  vessels, 
and  the  left  wing  of  National  ships.  The 
Monitor  and  Stevens,  anchored  before  Hamp 
ton  Harbor,  were  not  to  engage  in  the  action 
unless  the  wooden  ships  failed  in  their  mission, 
being  held  in  reserve  to  complete  the  work 
with  their  ordnance,  if  necessary.  None  of 
the  attacking  vessels  had  their  bows  or  cut 
waters  encased  in  iron,  as  many  believed,  nor 
were  they  in  any  way  prepared  for  ramming, 
other  than  having  their  engines  and  boilers  in 
good  condition,  and  the  steering  apparatus 
protected  by  bedding  ;  excepting  the  Vander- 
bilt,  which  had  received  a  half-inch  iron  plate 
on  the  face  of  the  stem,  her  bows  strengthened 
in-board  with  fore  and  aft  pieces  of  stout  tim 
bers,  and  her  wheel  barricaded  with  hammocks. 


1 76  The  Old  Navy. 

"  The  striking  force  in  tons  had  been  calcu 
lated  for  the  principal  vessels,  and  the  Vander- 
bilt,  capable  of  being  forced  up  to  eighteen 
knots  an  hour,  proving  the  most  formidable, 
was  selected  to  lead  in  the  attack,  followed 
by  the  Minnesota  and  the  others  in  succession, 
according  to  their  positions  in  the  column. 
To  avoid  unnecessary  complications  and  for 
the  safety  of  those  concerned,  the  Flag-Officer 
directed  that  no  transport  or  merchant-trader 
should  go  or  anchor  beyond  Hampton  Harbor. 
But  in  violation  of  this  order,  during  the  night 
of  April  loth  and  nth,  two  brigs  and  one 
schooner  stole  over  to  Newport  News  and 
cast  anchor  near  a  place  called  Beaches  Land 
ing,  apparently  about  half-way  between  the 
former  place  and  Old  Point  ;  and  the  next 
morning,  on  the  appearance  of  the  enemy,  they 
were  run  aground  and  abandoned,  being  soon 
afterward  taken  possession  of  by  the  Confed 
erate  gunboats  Jamestown  and  Raleigh,  and 
towed  to  Norfolk  unmolested,  for  reasons  al 
ready  given.  The  commander-in-chief  firmly 
believed  that  Commodore  Tattnall,  ignoring 
the  inefficient  guns  of  the  fort,  would  immedi 
ately  proceed  to  execute  the  object  of  his  ap 
pearing  in  the  Roads,  namely,  *  the  destruction 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     177 

or  dispersion  of  the  vessels  arrayed  against 
him,'  and  when  the  Merrimac  had  reached 
the  point  where  the  heavy  ships  could  operate 
without  risk  of  grounding,  the  machinery  for 
testing  the  weighty  experiment,  inducing  such 
herculean  preparations,  was  to  be  set  in  motion. 
"  The  morning  of  April  i  ith  dawned  excep 
tionally  fine,  with  a  gentle  breeze  stirring  from 
the  southwest,  and  the  tide  running  at  a  mod 
erate  ebb,  when  at  7.45  A.M.  the  quiet  pervading 
the  fleet  was  unexpectedly  broken  by  the  an 
nouncement  from  the  lookout  on  the  Minne 
sota  s  mizzen  cross-trees,  '  The  Merrimac  is 
coming  out,  sir/  Instantly  the  signal  '  Prepare 
for  action  '  was  made,  quickly  followed  by  one 
to  '  Slip  cables ' ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  two 
ponderous  columns  were  under  way,  with  en 
gines  lazily  turning,  slowly  drifting  eastward 
until  sufficient  space  had  been  acquired  for  the 
ships  to  deliver  their  heaviest  blows,  where 
they  were  held,  waiting  for  the  enemy  to  leave 
the  shoals  a  couple  of  miles  behind,  where  the 
serious  work  was  to  begin.  The  easterly  drift 
already  mentioned  impressed  our  opponents 
with  the  belief  that  the  Union  fleet  deliberately 
retreated  toward  the  Capes  to  avoid  an  en 
counter  for  the  supremacy  of  the  Roads, 


1 78  The  Old  Navy. 

"  Accompanied  by  six  satellites  the  monster 
turtleback  approached,  belching  huge  volumes 
of  inky  smoke  from  her  solitary  funnel,  and 
with  her  massive  superstructure  looming 
through  the  haze,  she  presented  an  object  by 
no  means  inviting  for  restful  contemplation, 
and  on  emerging  from  the  Norfolk  Channel 
she  appeared  to  head  for  the  fleet.  Some  fif 
teen  minutes  later,  while  Flag-Officer  Golds- 
borough  was  impatiently  waiting  for  her  to 
reach  a  position  where  he  could  safely  '  let 
slip  the  dogs  of  war,'  with  starboard  helm  she 
turned  westward,  and  after  some  manoeuvring 
became  stationary,  in  apparent  proximity  to 
Middle  Ground,  near  the  place  where  the 
Minnesota  had  been  decidedly  grounded  by 
her  pilot  on  the  8th  of  the  preceding  month, 
while  en  route  to  succor  the  Congress  and  the 
Cumberland.  In  this  position  it  was  impos 
sible  for  the  Union  fleet  to  attack. 

"  The  Merrimac,  seemingly  at  anchor,  re 
mained  in  this  place  until  4.30  P.M.,  when,  after 
firing  one  shot  toward  Old  Point,  she  with  her 
consorts  retired  toward  her  moorings  above 
Craney  Island,  where  the  intervening  lands  hid 
them  from  view,  enabling  the  vessels  of  the 
fleet  to  regain  the  anchorage  abandoned  earlier 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     179 

in  the  day.  And  perhaps  it  was  quite  as  well 
that  the  placid  waters  of  Hampton  Roads  had 
neither  been  crimsoned  with  the  blood  of  hos 
tile  contestants  nor  encumbered  with  the  wrecks 
of  opposing  ships.  The  boats  of  an  English 
and  a  French  man-of-war  anchored  northward 
of  Newport  News  shoal  were  observed  to 
communicate  with  the  Merrimac,  and  about 
2  P.M.  the  French  ship  weighed,  and  running 
to  leeward  of  the  fleet,  her  commander  boarded 
the  Minnesota,  and  in  conversation  with  the 
Flag-Officer,  remarked  that  during  his  inter 
view  with  Commodore  Tattnall,  that  officer 
had  stated  'that  he  perfectly  understood  Golds- 
borough's  plans  and  did  not  propose  to  subject 
his  ships  to  certain  destruction '  ;  thus  ex 
plaining  why  he  refrained  from  attempting  to 
accomplish  the  object  of  his  visit  to  the  Roads. 
"  The  following  day,  about  9  A.M.,  the  Mer 
rimac  was  again  reported  as  being  under  way, 
and  on  her  nearing  Craney  Island  with  her 
consorts,  preparations  for  her  reception  were 
quickly  made,  when  turning  around  she  soon 
disappeared  from  view,  the  condition  of  her 
hull  and  engines,  as  subsequently  learned,  mak 
ing  it  necessary  for  her  to  return  to  Norfolk 
for  repairs.  On  their  completion  a  month 


i8o  The  Old  Navy. 

later,  her  career  suddenly  ended  in  flame  and 
smoke  by  the  agency  of  her  own  crew." 

Lieutenant  Trenchard  in  his  journal,  speak 
ing  of  this  affair,  says:  "  Friday,  April  1 1,  1862 : 
Wind  light  from  the  northwest,  clear  and  pleas 
ant.  Latter  part  of  the  day  the  wind  was  from 
the  northeast.  At  half-past  seven  in  the 
morning,  the  flagship  made  a  general  signal, 
'Prepare  for  action.'  We  beat  to  quarters, 
got  under  way,  and  awaited  the  orders  of  the 
Flag-Officer  in  company  with  the  other  vessels 
of  the  fleet.  The  Merrimac,  together  with 
two  large  Confederate  steamers  and  some  four 
or  five  tugs,  came  down  below  Sewell's  Point, 
and  kept  that  position  during  the  day,  captur 
ing  two  vessels  and  taking  them  up  to  Nor 
folk. 

"  Saturday,  April  I2th  :  First  part,  light  airs 
from  the  north  and  pleasant ;  the  latter  part 
of  the  day  the  wind  was  from  the  northeast, 
moderate  and  clear.  At  8.30  A.M.  the  flagship 
made  signal  '  Prepare  for  action.'  We  beat  to 
quarters  and  made  every  preparation  for  a 
battle.  Got  under  way  and  awaited  further 
orders.  About  10  A.M.  the  Flag-Officer  made 
signal  to  proceed  on  our  voyage.  Ran  up  to 
the  landing  opposite  Fort  Monroe  to  com- 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     181 

municate  and  receive  the  mails.  At  11.20  A.M. 
stood  down  the  harbor  under  a  full  head  of 
steam.  While  we  were  waiting  for  our  boat 
we  had  a  good  view  of  the  Merrimac  and  the 
two  other  steamers  off  Sewell's  Point." 

On  April  8th,  while  the  Rhode  Island  was 
in  Hampton  Roads,  the  bark  Godfrey,  of  New 
York,  parted  her  cable,  and  being  caught  in 
the  strong  tide  came  in  collision  with  the  gun 
boat,  destroying  her  starboard  quarter-boat. 

After  taking  on  board  a  new  propeller 
weighing  six  thousand  pounds  for  the  Mer- 
cedita,  and  a  large  quantity  of  nine-  and  eleven- 
inch  shrapnel,  the  Rhode  Island  left  Hampton 
Roads  on  her  trip  South.  On  the  second  day 
out  she  boarded  the  English  bark  /.  K.  L., 
and  the  next  day  the  Jane  Savage,  of  London. 
Amid  squalls  and  frequent  showers  of  rain  the 
Rhode  Island  supplied  the  ships  and  delivered 
the  mails  to  the  blockading  squadron  off 
Charleston.  While  off  Wassaw  Sound  a  sin 
gular  coincidence  happened.  The  United 
States  gunboat  Wamsutta,  Lieutenant-Com 
mander  Semmes,  a  brother  of  the  celebrated 
Raphael  Semmes,  came  out  and  received  sup 
plies  from  the  Rhode  Island  for  the  United 
States  war-vessel  Alabama — not  the  Confed- 


1 82  The  Old  Navy. 

erate  cruiser  in  which  Raphael  Semmes  made 
himself  famous,  but  a  United  States  vessel  of 
that  name.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  also  notes 
that  "  the  steamer  Florida  came  out  and  com 
municated  with  us."  The  Florida  also  was  the 
name  of  a  famous  Confederate  cruiser. 

On  the  night  of  April  i8th,  while  off  the 
bar  of  Fernandina,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  fell 
in  with  a  strange  vessel  which  he  afterward 
believed  to  have  been  a  Confederate  cruiser. 
In  his  journal  under  date  of  April  :8th  he 
says:  ''At  3.15  A.M.  got  under  way  and  at 
6.25  A.M.  anchored  off  the  bar  of  Fernandina. 
Sent  a  boat  in  to  communicate  with  the  shore 
and  to  land  the  mails.  The  United  States 
steamer  Pawnee  sent  a  boat  out  for  her  sup 
plies.  The  United  States  schooner  Hope 
came  out  and  we  supplied  her,  and  at  2  P.M. 
got  under  way.  At  8.10  P.M.  we  anchored  off 
St.  Augustine,  fired  a  gun  and  a  rocket  besides 
coston  signals.  A  vessel  of  war  inside  the  bar 
made  her  number  commencing  with  No.  7. 
Could  not  make  out  what  vessel  it  might  be, 
but  supposed  that  one  of  the  vessels  from 
Mosquito  Inlet  had  come  up.  Signaled  her 
to  send  boats  for  her  supplies,  which  was 
answered  and  the  vessel  telegraphed,  '  Have 


Experience  with  the  "Merrimac,"      183 

you  any  communications  for  me  ? '  Supposing 
it  might  be  the  Andrews  or  the  Penguin,  the 
reply  was  in  the  affirmative.  The  vessel  then 
signaled,  '  I  will  send  a  boat.'  After  waiting 
over  two  hours  and  no  boat  coming,  I  signaled, 
'  Ready  to  proceed ;  send  boat  for  letters/ 
The  vessel  replied  by  burning  a  number  of 
coston  signals  from  which  I  could  only  make 
out  the  first,  'no  boat.'  I  dispatched  a  boat 
with  the  mail  in  charge  of  the  executive  officer, 
Mr.  Pennell,  with  directions  not  to  cross  the 
bar  if  the  sea  was  breaking  upon  it.  He  pro 
ceeded  in  and  when  within  hail  of  the  vessel, 
finding  that  they  were  going  to  quarters  and 
fearing  that  they  might  fire  into  the  boat, 
concluded,  upon  seeing  the  signal  for  the 
recall  of  the  boat,  to  return.  Mr.  Pennell 
reported  that  it  was  perfectly  smooth  upon 
the  bar,  and  that  boats  could  have  crossed  it 
without  difficulty.  As  the  Rhode  Island  had 
been  detained  some  five  hours  I  concluded  to 
continue  on  my  course." 

While  standing  down  the  Florida  coast  on 
the  following  night,  the  Rhode  Island  made  the 
lights  of  a  steamer  directly  ahead,  and  almost 
at  the  same  instant  the  stranger  seemed  to 
have  discovered  the  Rhode  Island,  for  she 


1 84  The  Old  Navy. 

put  about  and  cautiously  drew  near.  Equal 
caution  was  shown  by  the  Rhode  Island,  for 
the  result  of  the  action  between  the  Monitor 
and  the  Merrimac  had  spread  a  degree  of  dis 
trust  all  along  the  Confederate  seaboard,  and 
it  was  not  known  when  or  where  these  new 
sea  monsters  might  appear.  As  it  was  im 
possible  to  make  out  the  stranger's  number, 
the  suspicions  of  the  Rhode  Islands  people 
were  increased.  Gradually  the  two  vessels 
drew  near,  each  ready  to  fire  at  a  moment's 
notice.  Finally,  when  within  hailing  distance, 
the  stranger  was  found  to  be  the  United  States 
warship  Santiago  de  Cuba.  Giving  her  fresh 
provisions  the  Rhode  Island  continued  on  her 
course  South.  Just  as  she  was  nearing  Key 
West  she  met  the  Connecticut  on  her  return 
trip  and  was  boarded  for  news. 

While  entering  St.  Mark's  Harbor,  April 
26th,  the  Rhode  Island  met  with  an  accident 
that  nearly  ended  her  useful  career.  Lieuten 
ant  Trenchard  says  in  his  journal:  "At  ten 
o'clock  got  under  way  for  St.  Mark's.  A  large 
ship  is  in  sight,  to  the  south,  probably  the 
National  Guard.  At  5  P.M.  made  the  land 
off  St.  Mark's  and  about  an  hour  afterward 
sighted  the  bark  Kingfisher.  At  6.40  P.M. 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     185 

anchored  in  four  fathoms  of  water  about  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  her.  At  7  P.M.  the 
pilot  of  the  Kingfisher,  John  Welles,  came 
on  board  to  take  the  steamer  in.  At  7.20  P.M. 
got  under  way  and  went  ahead  slowly.  At 
7.40  P.M.  the  ship  struck  in  fourteen  feet  of 
water  on  a  knoll,  the  lead  indicating  just  be 
fore  striking  a  quarter  less  four.  Sent  a  boat 
out  to  sound  and  found  the  water,  with  the 
exception  of  the  midships,  varying  from  sixteen 
to  twenty-one  and  a  half  feet.  The  ship  at 
the  time  was  in  charge  of  the  pilot.  At  10 
P.M.,  the  tide  having  risen,  we  backed  the 
steamer  off  the  shoals  and  anchored  in  four 
fathoms  of  water." 

Stopping  at  the  blockaded  ports,  the  Rhode 
Island  varied  her  usual  course  by  going  up  the 
Mississippi  River,  New  Orleans  having  fallen 
after  Farragut's  successful  passage  of  the  forts 
only  a  few  days  before.  The  journal  says  : 
"At  5.30  A.M.  got  under  way  and  stood  up 
the  Mississippi  River.  At  8  A.M.  came  up 
with  the  United  States  ship  Portsmouth  at 
anchor  six  miles  above  Pilot  Town.  Trans 
ferred  Acting-Master  Richmond,  and  the  prize 
crew  with  him,  to  the  Portsmouth.  At  10.15 
A.M.  passed  the  gunboats  Cayuga  and  Wissa- 


1 86  The  Old  Navy. 

hickon,  the  former  bound  North,  with  dispatches 
bearing  upon  the  capture  of  New  Orleans. 
At  11.30  A.M.  passed  Forts  Jackson  and 
St.  Philip  in  our  possession.  At  i  P.M.  an 
chored  off  the  Quarantine  ground  and  sup 
plied  the  Mississippi,  which  vessel  received 
us  with  her  band  playing  "  Yankee  Doodle." 
There  was  a  large  number  of  troops  concen 
trated  at  Quarantine  en  route  up  the  river. 
At  2  P.M.  got  under  way,  and  at  7  P.M. 
anchored  for  the  night. 

"  THURSDAY,  May  i,  1862. 

"  At  4.30  A.M.  got  under  way  and  stood  up 
the  river.  At  7  A.M.  came  up  with  the  gun 
boat  Owasco  on  shore.  Anchored  so  as  to  aid 
her  in  getting  off.  At  11.30  A.M.  succeeded 
in  towing  her  off,  after  making  two  or  three 
attempts  and  parting  our  hawsers,  etc.,  and 
then  stood  up  for  New  Orleans,  anchoring  off 
the  city  at  1.30  P.M.  Supplied  the  United 
States  steamer  Harriet  Lane  and  she  pro 
ceeded  soon  afterward  down  the  river.  The 
steamer  Diana,  in  charge  of  my  nephew,  Mid 
shipman  Grafton,  came  up  the  river  with 
troops,  a  large  number  of  which  landed  just 
before  sunset,  General  Butler  taking  posses 
sion  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  and  releasing 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     187 

the  marines  from  the  squadron  that  had  held 
it  after  its  surrender  to  Flag-Officer  Farragut. 

"  NEW  ORLEANS,  FRIDAY,  May  2d. 

"Supplied  a  large  number  of  vessels  with 
fresh  provisions,  etc.  The  following  vessels 
were  off  New  Orleans  :  the  Hartford,  the 
Pensacola,  the  Richmond,  the  Harriet  Lane, 
the  Sciota,  the  Katahdin,  and  the  Westfield. 
At  5.50  P.M.  got  under  way  and  stood  up  the 
river  in  order  to  turn  round.  In  doing  this 
we  grounded  on  the  Algiers  side  of  the  river. 
At  7  P.M.  the  steamer  Star  came  over  and 
attempted  to  tow  us  off,  and  failing  to  do  so,  at 
8.30  P.M.  she  cast  off  and  made  fast  to  the 
levee,  in  doing  which  she  caught  her  port 
wheel  and  remained  there  until  the  following 
morning. 

"  SATURDAY,  May  3d. 

"  At  8  A.M.  succeeded  in  getting  the  Star 
(alias  St.  Charles)  clear  of  the  levee.  The  coal 
barge  Tully  Robinson  came  up  and  together 
with  the  Star  made  several  attempts  to  haul 
us  off  during  the  day.  The  Richmond  also 
came  up,  but  the  water  being  too  deep  to 
anchor  sufficiently  near  us,  and  dragging  her 
anchors,  she  was  unable  to  render  us  any  as 
sistance.  Captain  Alden  was  very  much  inter- 


1 88  The  Old  Navy. 

ested  and  very  assiduous  in  his  efforts  to  get 
us  off.  We  remained  ashore  until  12.45  P.M. 
of  the  6th,  making  daily  attempts  to  get  the 
ship  off,  aided  by  the  Kensington. 

"SUNDAY,  May  4th. 

"  Engaged  in  the  mean  time  in  lightening  the 
ship,  and  on  Tuesday  the  6th,  with  the  aid  of 
the  steamer  Star,  or  St.  Charles,  on  the  star 
board  quarter,  the  Katahdin  and  the  Tully 
Robinson  on  the  port  quarter,  the  Rhode  Island 
started  off  at  12.45  P.M.,  to  the  extreme  joy  of 
everyone  on  board.  It  is  impossible  for  me 
to  express  my  joy  and  thankfulness  in  getting 
the  steamer  afloat.  A  sad  accident  occurred, 
casting  a  gloom  on  all,  to  one  of  the  lighters 
containing  some  of  our  coal  and  a  number  of 
laborers  employed  by  us.  She  was  in  tow  of 
the  Tully  Robinson,  contrary  to  my  orders,  and 
was  unfortunately  swamped  and  three  men 
were  drowned." 

The  wife  of  one  of  the  lost  men  was  aboard 
the  barge  at  the  time,  and  the  officers  of  the 
Rhode  Island  were  so  affected  by  her  grief  that 
they  made  up  a  purse  of  three  hundred  dollars 
for  her. 

"  WEDNESDAY,  May  7,  1862. 

"Got  under  way  and  anchored  on  the  New 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     189 

Orleans  side  of  the  river  near  the  levee.  Was 
employed  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in 
getting  our  coal  and  other  things  on  board  that 
had  been  removed  to  lighten  the  vessel  when 
getting  her  off  the  shore.  Pleasant  visit  on 
shore  with  Dr.  Smith  and  Capt.  George  Henry 
Preble.  Visit  to  Mrs.  General  Butler  at  the 
St.  Charles  Hotel,  the  General's  headquarters. 

"THURSDAY,  May  8th. 

"  At  1.30  P.M.  got  under  way  and  proceeded 
down  the  river.  Just  before  reaching  Forts 
Jackson  and  St.  Philip  the  Rhode  Island  passed 
a  break  in  the  levee,  through  which  the  water 
of  the  river  was  rushing  in  alarming  quantities 
and  flooding  the  surrounding  country.  It  re 
quired  no  little  skill  and  steam  and  power  to 
prevent  the  vessel  from  being  carried  into  the 
side  current,  where  she  undoubtedly  would  soon 
be  left  high  and  dry  on  land,  some  yards  from 
the  river  bank." 

Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes  that  it  was  an 
"  exciting  scene."  At  Pilot  Town  the  Rhode 
Island,  by  order  of  Farragut,  took  aboard  forty- 
one  Confederate  prisoners,  who  were  engaged 
in  resisting  the  National  attack.  Among  them 
were  Com.  I.  K.  Mitchell,  Captains  Beverly 
Kennon  and  Wilkinson,  who  commanded  di- 


1 90  The  Old  Navy. 

visions  of  the  Confederate  naval  forces,  and  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  ironclad  Louisiana. 

Captain  Wilkinson,  the  famous  blockade- 
runner,  writing  of  his  experiences  in  the  Rhode 
Island,  says  : 

"  We  were  transferred  to  the  Rhode  Island, 
bound  to  Fort  Warren.  On  board  of  this  ves 
sel  we  were  more  completely  tabooed  by  the 
officers  than  in  the  Colorado,  for  the  Rhode  Isl 
and  was  officered,  with  the  exception  of  her 
captain,  by  volunteers.  The  harsh  orders  had 
been  evaded  on  board  the  former  vessel  by  old 
friends  and  shipmates.  On  board  the  Rhode 
Island  the  orders  were  strictly  obeyed,  much  to 
our  satisfaction,  for  we  would  have  lost  our  pa 
tience  to  have  been  interviewed  by  fledgling 
naval  heroes.  The  noble  commander  of  the 
Rhode  Island  most  of  us  had  known  of  old  as  a 
prim  little  precisian,  and  a  great  stickler  for 
etiquette,  and  by  no  means  a  bad  fellow  ;  but 
so  strict  a  constructionist  that  he  would  prob 
ably  have  refused  to  recognize  his  grandfather, 
if  it  were  against  orders.  But  he  had  a  humane 
disposition  under  his  frigid  exterior  ;  and  al 
lowed  us  all  the  comfort  and  privileges  com 
patible  with  discipline  and  safety.  At  Fort 
Warren,  we  were  allowed,  at  our  own  expense, 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     191 

to  supply  our  table  from  the  Boston  market, 
not  only  abundantly,  but  luxuriously,  the  Gov 
ernment  furnishing  the  usual  rations,  and  the 
prisoners  grew  fat  on  the  good  fare  and  bra 
cing  climate." 

After  their  arrival  at  Fort  Warren,  both 
Mitchell  and  Kennon  addressed  letters  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Mitchell  said  :  "  I 
most  emphatically  assert  that  the  Louisiana, 
when  abandoned  and-  fired  by  my  orders,  was 
not  only  '  not  turned  adrift '  or  intended  to 
injure  the  United  States  forces,  as  charged  by 
Commander  Porter,  but  that  she  was  actually 
left  secured  to  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river, 
and  distant  quite  three  fourths  of  a  mile  from 
the  said  forces,  for  the  very  reason  they  were 
flying  a  flag  of  truce,  and  for  that  reason  I 
despatched  the  warning  message  to  Comman 
der  Porter,  respecting  the  magazine.  That  it 
is  not  only  the  right,  but  the  duty  of  an  officer 
to  destroy  public  property  to  prevent  its  fall 
ing  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  does  not 
admit  of  a  question  ;  and  in  addition  to  which, 
it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  the  forces 
under  my  command  flew  no  flag  of  truce,  and 
that  I  was  not  in  any  way  a  party  to  the  sur 
render  of  Fort  Jackson  or  St.  Philip."  He 


192  The  Old  Navy. 

had  previously  addressed  a  letter  to  the  De 
partment  and  forwarded  it  by  Commander 
Trenchard  from  Hampton  Roads.  The  Sec 
retary  replied,  May  29,  1862  : 

"  SIR  : — The  explanations  of  Com.  I.  K. 
Mitchell  are  satisfactory,  and  the  restrictions 
imposed  on  him  and  his  associates  by  the  De 
partment's  order  of  the  2d  inst.  will  be  removed, 
and  they  will  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  war. 
This  does  not  relieve  Beverly  Kennon  from 
the  restrictions  imposed  on  him. 

"  GIDEON  WELLES. 
"  COL.  JUSTINE  DINMICK, 

Comdg.  Fort  Warren" 

The  Secretary  requested  Kennon  to  furnish 
him  with  particulars  of  his  gunboat,  having 
wounded  on  board.  In  reply  Kennon  says  : 

"  When  I  destroyed  and  left  the  vessel  which 
I  had  commanded  on  the  occasion  referred  to, 
all  the  wounded  men  had  been  removed,  the 
most  of  them  lowered  in  boats  by  my  own 
hands.  I  was  the  last  person  to  leave  the 
vessel." 

The  restrictions  were  removed  from  Ken 
non,  too,  soon  after  this  communication  was 
received  by  the  Secretary. 


Experience  with  the  "  Merrimac."     193 

On  her  return  trip  the  Rhode  Island  reached 
Pensacola  May  roth,  just  in  time  to  learn  that 
the  Confederates  had  evacuated  the  place. 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  speaks  of  the  "sad  ap 
pearance  of  the  Navy  Yard,  which  had  been 
fired  by  the  Confederates,  reducing  it  to  a  mass 
of  ruins.  The  town  of  Warrington  and  the 
naval  hospitals  presented  the  same  appear 
ance."  At  Key  West,  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
took  aboard  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  steamer 
Bermuda,  which  had  been  captured  by  the 
Mercedita. 

On  Friday,  May  i6th,  while  twenty  miles 
from  Carrysford  Reef  Light,  the  Rhode  Island 
passed  the  wreck  of  a  hermaphrodite  brig. 
Part  of  her  stern  and  starboard  quarter  was 
out  of  the  water.  The  vessel  appeared  to  be 
of  foreign  build  and  measured  about  two  hun 
dred  tons.  The  forward  spars  were  new,  while 
the  after  spars  were  old.  From  appearances 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  judged  that  she  must 
have  been  struck  by  a  squall  and  dismasted. 
Boarding  the  American  steamer  Columbia  on 
the  following  day,  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
learned  of  the  surrender  of  Norfolk. 

As  the  Rhode  Island  was  leaving  Port  Royal 
she  met  her  sister  ship,  the  Connecticut,  bound 


194 


The  Old  Navy. 


on  her  Southern  supply  trip.  About  the  same 
time  the  Rhode  Island  was  boarded  by  the 
United  States  steamer  Augusta.  Touching  at 
Fort  Monroe,  where  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
visited  a  number  of  the  sick  and  received  "  good 
news  from  home,  all  well,"  he  hastened  on  his 
way  for  Boston,  arriving  there  May  23d. 

Here  the  prisoners  of  war,  under  charge  of 
Acting-Master  Williams  with  a  guard  of  ma 
rines,  were  conveyed  in  a  tug  to  Fort  Warren 
and  safely  lodged  there.  Lieutenant  Trench 
ard  says  :  "  It  is  impossible  to  describe  my 
great  relief  and  thankfulness  in  reaching  Bos 
ton  safely,  and  without  having  experienced  any 
trouble  with  the  prisoners  over  whom  we  had 
kept  such  a  vigilant  watch." 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

LAST    CRUISES    AS    A    SUPPLY-STEAMER. 

ON  June  2,  1862,  Secretary  Welles  sent 
the  following  order  to  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  making  a  change  in  the  Rhode  1st- 
and's  ordinary  trips  :  "  Hereafter  the  United 
States  steamer  Rhode  Island  will  not  supply 
the  vessels  of  the  Atlantic  Squadrons,  and  will 
touch  at  Port  Royal  only  on  the  way  to  the 
Gulf  Squadrons,  commencing  at  Cape  Carna- 
veral.  On  your  return  trip  you  will  touch 
both  at  Port  Royal  and  Hampton  Roads,  for 
warding  your  mail  as  you  do  from  the  latter 
place  to  the  Department.  You  will  continue 
to  bring  home  the  sick  and  wounded  from  Port 
Royal  and  Hampton  Roads,  and  from  any 
other  vessels  for  the  Atlantic  Squadron  that 
you  may  communicate  with.  Proceed  on  this 

195 


196  The  Old  Navy. 

service  as  soon  as  the  Rhode  Island  is  ready  for 
sea,  and  enter  Boston  on  your  return. 
"  I  am,  respectfully, 

"Your  Obedient  Servant, 

"  GIDEON  WELLES." 

June  iith,  1862,  the  Rhode  Island  left  Bos 
ton  on  her  seventh  trip  South,  having  on  board 
two  hundred  seamen,  and  a  number  of  acting- 
masters  and  mates  as  supernumeraries  for  the 
several  blockading  squadrons.  At  Hampton 
Roads,  June  i2th,  she  took  on  board  an  unusu 
ally  heavy  mail  and  then  resumed  her  course 
for  Port  Royal,  boarding,  on  the  way,  the 
schooner  Mary  Stuart  of  Nassau,  a  prize  of 
the  Gem  of  the  Sea,  captured  off  Georgetown, 
S.  C,  with  a  cargo  of  oil,  etc.  The  Mary 
Stuart  was  bound  for  New  York  for  adjudica 
tion.  A  number  of  other  vessels  also  were 
boarded,  but  finding  their  papers  all  right, 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  did  not  detain  them. 

On  arriving  off  Charleston  the  Rhode  Island 
exchanged  signals  with  the  United  States 
steamer  Alabama  and  the  schooner  Flash,  and 
shortly  afterward  the  blockading  ships  were 
descried  off  Stono  Inlet.  The  sea  was  so 
heavy  and  the  fog  so  dense  at  the  time  that 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  deemed  it  too  hazard- 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.     197 

ous  to  run  in,  and  so  stood  on  and  off,  blowing 
his  steam-whistle  every  few  minutes  so  as  to 
warn  any  vessel  that  might  be  coming  in  col 
lision  with  her.  On  the  next  day  the  weather 
cleared,  and  Lieutenant  Trenchard  spoke  the 
supply-steamer  Connecticut  on  her  return  trip. 
The  Rhode  Island  then  ran  into  Port  Royal 
and  anchored  near  the  flagship  Wabash. 
"  Landed  the  mails,"  wrote  Lieutenant  Trench 
ard  ;  "transferred  the  men  and  stores  for  the 
squadron.  I  dined  with  Flag-Officer  Dupont 
and  Capt.  C.  R.  P.  Rodgers,  remaining  with 
them  until  getting  under  way  at  5.40  P.M." 

Off  Mosquito  Inlet,  Florida,  June  iQth,  the 
Rhode  Island  made  her  number  to  a  steamer 
anchored  within  the  inlet,  supposed  to  be  the 
Wyandotte.  Skirting  the  Florida  coast,  two  or 
three  miles  from  land,  she  boarded,  on  June 
2Oth,  the  English  brig  Annita  from  Matanzas 
for  Halifax,  and  on  the  following  day,  just 
after  passing  Carrysford  Reef  Light,  the  brig 
John  Jewett  from  New  York  to  New  Orleans 
was  spoken.  At  Key  West  the  flagship  San 
Jacinto  of  the  flying  squadron,  Flag-Officer 
James  L.  Lardner,  the  Quaker  City,  the  Giiard, 
the  Sagamore,  the  Wanderer,  and  the  Merce- 
dita  were  found.  The  Rhode  Island  left  Key 


198  The  Old  Navy. 

West  June  24th,  and  reached  Fort  Jefferson, 
Tortugas,  at  1.45.  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
notes:  "Went  on  shore  and  took  a  look  at 
the  works  and  found  great  improvement  had 
taken  place  since  my  former  visit." 

In  order  to  delay  the  Rhode  Island  as  little 
as  possible  many  of  the  war-steamers,  imme 
diately  upon  making  the  Rhode  Island1  s  num 
ber,  came  out  of  the  harbor  and  received  their 
supplies  at  sea.  June  28th,  Lieutenant  Trench 
ard  notes:  "Light  airs  from  the  north  and 
east, — clear  and  pleasant.  At  6.30  A.M.  the 
steam  gunboat  Young'  Rover,  came  out.  Sup 
plied  her,  and  at  7.30  A.M.  parted  company  for 
the  Western  Pass  of  Appalachicola.  On  reach 
ing  the  Middle  Pass,  found  the  United  States 
bark  /  L.  Davis  at  anchor,  and  she  was  soon 
after  joined  by  the  steam  gunboat  Fort  Henry. 
These  boats  came  out  for  supplies,  and  after 
receiving  them  we  got  under  way  for  St.  An 
drews,  arriving  there  at  8  P.M.,  meeting  the 
schooner  Samuel  Rotan  and  supplying  her. 
Saturday,  June  28th,  light  airs  from  the  south 
and  west.  At  5.40  A.  M.  made  Santa  Rosa 
Island  Lighthouse  on  the  starboard  bow.  At 
7  A.M.  received  a  pilot  and  stood  in  and  ran 
up  to  Pensacola,  anchoring  near  the  United 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.     199 

States  ship  Vincennes,  off  the  town.  Captain 
Madigan  came  on  board  and  breakfasted  with 
me.  After  breakfast  I  went  on  shore  and 
called  on  General  Arnold.  Got  under  way  at 
11.30  A.M.,  en  route  for  Mobile,  Lieutenant 
Crosby,  U.  S.  A.,  aide  to  General  Arnold,  tak 
ing  passage  with  us.  Spoke  the  schooner 
Henry  Frams  of  Key  West  from  Pensacola 
for  New  Orleans.  We  were  compelled  to  fire 
a  shot  across  her  bow  to  bring  her  to  and 
show  her  colors." 

On  Sunday,  June  29th,  while  off  Ship  Island 
supplying  the  old  sailing  frigate  Potomac,  the 
Rhode  Island  was  overtaken  by  a  terrific  thun 
der  storm,  the  lightning  at  times  making  the 
crew  apprehensive  for  the  safety  of  the  maga 
zine.  The  storm  blew  over,  however,  without 
injury  to  the  ship.  At  this  place  Capt.  Levin 
M.  Powell,  of  the  Potomac,  became  a  passen 
ger  in  the  Rhode  Island,  bound  for  New 
Orleans.  The  naval  hospital  at  Pilot  Town 
was  duly  furnished  with  supplies,  besides  the 
war-vessels  stationed  there  and  at  New  Or 
leans.  In  crossing  the  bar,  coming  out  of  the 
river,  the  Rhode  Island  struck  ground,  but  sus 
tained  no  serious  injury. 

On  the  morning  of  July  4,  1862,  the  Rhode 


200  The  Old  Navy. 

Island  won  the  immortal  glory  of  being  the 
first  United  States  vessel  to  plant  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  on  Texan  soil  after  the  Civil  War 
broke  out.  On  this  day,  the  Rhode  Island 
being  about  seventeen  miles  to  the  south  and 
west  of  Galveston,  a  sail  was  made  close  in 
with  the  land.  The  Rhode  Island  stood  toward 
her,  but  as  soon  as  the  character  of  the  Union 
vessel  was  discovered  by  the  stranger,  she 
immediately  put  her  helm  up  and  ran  ashore. 
The  day  being  fine  and  the  water  smooth,  the 
Rhode  Island  ran  close  in  to  the  beach,  and  on 
discovering  a  force  of  cavalry  and  infantry  on 
shore,  who  evidently  were  unloading  the  ves 
sel,  she  opened  fire  with  shell.  This  had  the 
effect  of  putting  them  to  flight.  Three  armed 
boats  from  the  Rhode  Island  were  then  lowered 
under  command  of  Acting-Master  Pennell, 
executive  officer  of  the  Rhode  Island,  assisted 
by  Paymaster  Douglass  and  Engineer  Mc- 
Cutchen,  and  pulled  toward  the  vessel  covered 
by  the  guns  of  the  Rhode  Island,  and  under  in 
structions  of  Lieutenant  Trenchard  to  see  if  the 
vessel  could  be  got  off,  and  if  not  to  destroy 
her.  They  succeeded  in  boarding  her  without 
molestation  and  found  her  to  be  the  English 
schooner  Richard  O'Brien  from  Jamaica  to 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.     201 

Matamoras.  A  few  days  before  she  had  been 
boarded  by  the  De  Soto  and  warned  off  the 
coast.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  was  of  the  opin 
ion  that  she  was  a  Confederate  vessel,  and  hav 
ing  succeeded  in  running  the  blockade,  changed 
her  flag  in  Jamaica,  as  her  papers  had  the  ap 
pearance  of  being  recently  made  out.  Mr. 
Pennell  on  boarding  the  vessel  found  that  she 

o 

had  bilged,  and  that  getting  her  off  would  be 
impossible.  He  therefore,  following  his  in 
structions,  filled  all  the  boats  with  valuable 
drugs  which  constituted  a  large  part  of  her 
cargo,  set  the  vessel  on  fire,  and  returned  to 
the  ship.  The  schooner,  with  the  balance  of 
her  cargo,  part  of  which  had  been  landed 
before  the  Rhode  Island  hove  in  sight,  was  en 
tirely  consumed.  The  cargo  rescued,  consist 
ing  of  rum  and  sugar,  was  sold  for  $1209.78, 
the  prize  money  amounting  to  $838.85. 

While  the  boats  were  away,  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  observed  another  vessel  in  what 
had  the  appearance  of  being  a  lake  or  lagoon, 
separated  by  only  a  narrow  neck  of  land  from 
the  ocean.  Wishing  to  destroy  her  if  possible, 
he  ordered  Mr.  Pennell  to  start  again,  and  on 
landing,  he  found  it  possible  to  haul  his  boats 
over  the  sand  and  attack  as  he  had  the  Richard 


202  The  Old  Navy. 

O Brien.  The  party  landed,  protected  by  the 
Rhode  Island's  guns,  in  safety,  and  Mr.  Pennell 
planted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  Texan  soil. 
But  on  reaching  the  shore  he  discovered  the  nar 
row  sand  spot  to  be  at  least  a  mile  wide,  thus 
rendering  their  second  expedition  fruitless,  for 
hauling  boats  that  distance  was  simply  an  im 
possibility,  especially  in  an  enemy's  country. 
While  they  were  ashore  Lieutenant  Trenchard 
discovered  a  company  of  cavalry  approaching, 
but  a  few  well-directed  shells  caused  them  to 
flee. 

After  reaching  Galveston  the  Rhode  Island 
began  her  return  trip,  stopping  at  New  Orleans 
and  Mobile.  At  the  latter  port,  Paymaster 
Washington  Irving  came  on  board  for  passage 
home.  Taking  aboard  invalids  and  mails  for  the 
North,  the  Rhode  Island  continued  her  voyage. 

On  July  1 5th,  while  approaching  Key  West, 
Lieutenant  Trenchard  notes:  "At  5  P.M. 
made  the  bark  Hamilton  of  New  York  from 
Key  West  for  Trinidad  de  Cuba,  the  captain 
of  which  did  not  show  his  colors  until  ordered, 
and  then  treated  the  boarding  officer  with  the 
greatest  indignity  and  disrespect.  At  7  P.M. 
anchored  at  Key  West  and  found  that  the 
steamer  Connecticut  had  just  arrived  five  days 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.    203 

from  New  York."  On  July  23d,  the  Rhode 
Island  passed  an  English  bark  which  also  re 
fused  to  show  her  colors  until  a  blank  cartridge 
was  fired  at  her.  The  Rhode  Island  arrived  at 
Boston  July  25th,  when  her  armament  was  in 
creased  by  two  rifled  i2-pounders.  On  July 
1 6th,  Lieutenant  Trenchard  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  commander. 

Taking  on  board  two  hundred  seamen  for 
the  squadrons  of  Farragut  and  Dupont,  the 
Rhode  Island  left  Boston  August  2d.  On  the 
third  day  out  much  excitement  was  occasioned 
by  David  A.  Mentar,  one  of  the  crew,  a  coal- 
heaver,  jumping  overboard.  The  engines  were 
promptly  stopped,  the  life-buoy  let  go,  boats 
were  lowered,  and  every  effort  was  made  to 
save  the  unfortunate  man,  but  in  vain.  He 
perished  before  assistance  could  reach  him. 

At  five  minutes  after  five,  on  the  morning 
of  September  5th,  while  the  Rhode  Island  was 
at  sea,  on  her  voyage  between  Port  Royal  and 
Hampton  Roads,  on  her  return  trip  North,  a 
dense  volume  of  smoke  was  discovered  coming 
from  the  port  cargo  room  forward.  Lieutenant 
Trenchard  notes  :  "  Went  to  quarters  and  after 
tracing  the  site  of  the  fire  introduced  the  hose 
and  soon  extinguished  the  flames.  The  fire 


204  The  Old  Navy. 

originated  between  two  of  the  timbers  abreast 
of  the  furnace  on  the  port  side.  We  beat  a 
retreat  at  1.30  A.M.,  keeping  a  watch  near  the 
place  of  the  fire  with  buckets  filled  with  water, 
in  readiness  to  extinguish  the  fire  should  it 
break  out  again.  It  was  supposed,  after  a 
careful  examination  of  the  place  after  daylight, 
that  it  originated  by  oil  that  had  been  spilt, 
which  may  have  run  in  between  the  timbers, 
saturated  shavings  lodged  there  in  building 
the  vessel,  and  fired  by  the  extreme  heat  of  the 
furnace." 

The  Rhode  Island  returned  from  this  trip 
September  roth.  On  September  25th,  1862, 
she  left  Boston  on  her  ninth  and  last  trip  as  a 
supply-vessel,  having  on  board  a  large  number 
of  supernumerary  officers  for  the  blockading 
squadrons.  At  Hampton  Roads  Commander 
Trenchard  took  on  board  Captain  Thornton 
A.  Jenkins  as  a  passenger.  "  At  4.45  P.M., 
October  2d,  she  passed  Port  Royal  lightboat, 
entered  the  harbor,  anchoring  near  the  flag 
ship  Vermont ;  Captain  Godon  being  tempo 
rarily  in  command.  The  Wabash  and  several 
other  vessels  were  in  port  at  the  time.  A 
number  of  supernumerary  officers  were  left  on 
board  the  Vermont  to  join  their  respective 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.     205 

vessels,  and  some  additional  ones  came  on 
board  for  passage  in  this  vessel.  At  5.25  P.M. 
the  Potomaska  got  under  way.  At  7  A.M. 
we  got  under  way  and  stopped  abreast  of  the 
Vandalia,  standing  in  to  send  three  men 
attached  to  the  Octorara  on  board.  A  boat 
from  the  Vandalia  came  alongside  and  unfor 
tunately  got  under  the  wheels,  which  turned, 
swamped  and  upset  the  boat  and  crew,  the 
men  being  providentially  saved." 

"  At  7  A.M.,  October  8th,"  wrote  Com 
mander  Trenchard,  "  while  running  from  Key 
West  to  Cedar  Keys,  the  Rhode  Island  gave 
chase  to  a  suspicious  sail.  At  9.40  the  chase 
hauled  in  for  the  shore  and  came  to  anchor. 
We  stood  in  for  her  until  shoaling  water  made 
it  dangerous  to  proceed  farther,  when  we 
stopped  the  engines,  fired  a  blank  cartridge  for 
her  to  run  out,  and  she  failing  to  do  so  we 
fired  a  shell  ahead  of  her,  lowered  a  boat,  and 
sent  her  to  board  the  sloop,  which  got  under 
way.  She  proved  to  be  the  fishing  sloop  Wan 
derer  of  Key  West.  Her  commander  was  in 
formed  that  he  should  have  come  out  to  us 
upon  the  signal  having  been  made.  By  not 
doing  so  he  had  made  himself  liable  to  seizure." 

On  her  return  trip  the  Rhode  Island,  soon 


2o6  The  Old  Navy. 

after  leaving  Cedar  Keys,  gave  chase  to  another 
suspicious  sail.  Commander  Trenchard  says  : 
4<  Sunday,  November  26.  :  First  part  of  the  day 
moderate  breezes  from  the  east,  with  squally 
weather,  and  occasionally  showers.  At  4.40 
A.M.,  spoke  a  steamer  standing  to  the  north, 
and  not  learning  her  name,  gave  chase  after 
having  burned  costons  preparatory,  and  being 
answered,  made  our  number,  to  which  the 
steamer  replied,  Stars  and  Stripes.  Not  learn 
ing  of  that  vessel  being  upon  the  station,  and 
supposing  her  to  be  a  suspicious  character,  I 
determined  to  get  nearer.  In  approaching 
her  she  attempted  to  cross  our  bow.  On  per 
ceiving  this  manoeuvre  our  engines  were  re 
versed  and  the  steamer  hailed  and  ordered  to 
do  the  same,  or  stop.  The  two  vessels  came 
in  contact ;  we  continued  backing  strong,  thus 
preventing  a  more  serious  collision.  Our 
false  stem  was  slightly  started  by  the  shock, 
and  the  starboard  anchor  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  was  torn  away.  The  last-named  vessel 
sustained  no  injury,  as  reported  by  her." 

On  Tuesday,  November  24th,  Commander 
Trenchard  reports  :  "  At  i  A.M.  made  a 
steamer,  beat  to  quarters,  and  upon  boarding 
her  she  proved  to  be  the  royal  British  steamer 


Last  Cruises  as  a  Supply-Steamer.     207 

Baracoa  from  Nassau,  bound  for  Key  West." 
The  Rhode  Island  arrived  at  Boston  from  this 
trip  November  nth. 

The  following  notice  from  the  Boston  Adver 
tiser,  in  1862,  speaks  well  for  the  services  of 
the  Rhode  Island:  "The  dispatch  of  gov 
ernment  orders,  mails,  supplies,  etc.,  to  the 
vessels  and  squadrons  employed  on  the  block 
ade  of  Southern  ports  by  the  Rhode  Island, 
under  her  present  efficient  commander  and  a 
corps  of  skilful  officers,  has  proved  her  an 
invaluable  friend  to  the  thousands  of  patient 
and  courageous  officers  and  seamen  who 

o 

through  the  long  months  now  past  have  held 
the  passes  of  the  rebellious  coast." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SINKING    OF    THE    "  MONITOR." 

WITH  the  occupation  of  New  Orleans, 
Pensacola,  Port  Royal,  Fernandina, 
and  other  ports  along  the  Southern  coast  by 
the  Unionists,  it  became  much  easier  for  the 
blockading  squadrons  to  obtain  fresh  supplies, 
and  it  was  found  that  one  steamer  could  prop 
erly  maintain  the  service.  The  Rhode  Island 
had  proved,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  her 
capacity  for  fighting,  and  on  her  return  to  the 
Boston  Navy  Yard,  November,  1862,  she  was 
fitted  out  as  a  gunboat,  while  to  the  Connecticut 
was  assigned  the  duty  of  delivering  provisions 
and  mails  to  the  blockading  squadrons  and 
bringing  back  the  sick  and  wounded.  The 
Rhode  Island's  old  battery,  with  the  exception 
of  the  3<>pounder  Parrott  gun,  and  one  rifled 
12-pounder  Dahlgren  gun,  was  removed  and 

208 


Sinking  of  the  " Monitor."         209 

replaced  with  one  Q-inch  Dahlgren  on  the 
port  side  aft,  and  eight  8-inch  guns  in  the 
broadside,  each  weighing  sixty-three  hundred 
weight.  Her  complement  also  was  increased 
with  some  additional  rates. 

Thus  refitted  and  equipped  the  Rhode  Island 
on  a  clear  winter's  day,  tempered  by  a  south 
west  breeze,  steamed  down  Boston  Harbor 
and  made  fast  to  the  centre  buoy  of  the  Com 
pass  Station  off  Deer  Island  for  the  pur 
pose  of  making  the  necessary  observations  for 
local  attraction.  The  officers  of  the  ship  at 
this  time  were  :  Commander,  Stephen  Decatur 
Trenchard  ;  Acting  Masters,  William  Williams 
and  T.  N.  Meyer ;  Acting  Ensigns,  Samuel 
H.  Field  and  Albert  Taylor ;  Paymaster, 
Richard  Hall  Douglass ;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
Samuel  G.  Webb ;  Acting  First  Assistant 
Engineer,  John  F.  McCutchen  ;  Acting  Third 
Assistant  Engineers,  George  H.  Rutter, 
Joseph  C.  Davis,  Granville  Davis,  Anthony 
French,  Isaac  S.  March  ;  Acting  Masters' 
Mates,  E.  W.  Watson,  Lemuel  Pope,  William 
H.  H.  Stevens,  Daniel  R.  Brown,  William 
Rogers  ;  Captain's  Clerk,  F.  C,  T.  Beck  ;  Pay 
master's  Clerk,  Frank  H.  Deal. 

The    Rhode   Island  left    Boston    December 


210  The  Old  Navy. 

5th  on  her  maiden  cruise  as  a  full-fledged  gun 
boat.  While  off  Cape  Henry  three  days  later, 
she  suddenly  ran  into  shoal  water,  and  soon 
afterward  struck  bottom.  As  the  ship,  at  the 
time,  was  some  distance  from  land  and  there 
was  a  considerable  sea  on,  much  alarm  was 
felt,  as  it  was  feared  that  she  would  thump  to 
pieces  and  the  officers  and  crew  would  be  left 
to  struggle  for  their  lives  far  out  at  sea.  The 
striking  of  the  ship  occurred  long  before  day 
light,  and  the  intense  darkness,  together  with 
the  rough  water,  made  it  extremely  difficult 
for  the  ship  to  manoeuvre.  The  engines  were 
promptly  reversed  and  the  sails  were  set  and 
braced  back.  Boats  were  lowered  to  take 
soundings  and  kedge-anchors  were  run  out  on 
the  weather  quarter.  After  great  efforts  and 
with  no  little  danger  of  the  boats  capsizing, 
the  vessel  was  dragged  off  the  shoals  and 
again  brought  into  deep  water.  Some  time 
was  spent  in  examining  into  the  condition  of 
the  ship.  The  pumps  were  sounded  to  see  if 
she  was  leaking  seriously.  At  10.30  A.M. 
Commander  Trenchard  was  satisfied  that  his 
ship  had  sustained  no  serious  injuries,  and  half 
an  hour  later,  having  taken  a  pilot  aboard,  he 
ran  into  Hampton  Roads  and  anchored  off 


Sinking  of  the  "  Monitor."        211 

Fort  Monroe,    reporting    on   board   the   flag- 
steamer  Philadelphia. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter 
written  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the  Rhode 
Island  in  reference  to  this  mishap  : 

"FRIDAY,  December  19,  1862. 

"  The  United  States  steamer  Rhode  Island 
arrived  here  yesterday  from  Boston.  Shortly 
after  leaving  port  she  encountered  a  tremen 
dous  gale,  which  kept  her  knocking  about  for 
two  days,  making  little  or  no  headway.  She 
was  struck  by  a  heavy  sea  which  carried  away 
both  her  wheel-houses  and  received  other 
damage.  After  outriding  the  gale  and  while 
proceeding  into  Hampton  Roads,  at  midnight 
on  Wednesday  she  struck  a  reef,  where  she 
remained  until  daylight  next  morning  before 
she  got  off.  The  wind,  blowing  a  gale  at  the 
time,  fortunately  was  off  the  land  :  had  it  not 
been  so  she  would  certainly  have  become  a 
total  wreck.  As  it  was,  so  dangerous  was 
their  position,  that  the  officers  had  everything 
in  readiness  to  leave  at  a  moment's  notice.  I 
think  from  what  I  have  heard  the  officers  say 
she  will  have,  to  go  into  the  dry  dock  before 
proceeding  on  her  cruise." 

During  the  few  days  the  vessel  remained  in 


212  The  Old  Navy. 

this  port,  Commander  Trenchard  kept  his 
crew  constantly  exercising  at  the  great  guns 
and  with  such  success  that  two  days  later  when 
Captain  Samuel  Phillips  Lee  of  the  North  At 
lantic  blockading  squadron  came  aboard  to 
inspect  the  ship  he  highly  complimented  her 
officers  on  the  thorough  man-of-war  appear 
ance  the  little  cruiser  presented. 

The  first  important  duty  on  which  the  Rhode 
Island  was  assigned  as  a  gunboat  made  her 
famous  by  associating  her  with  the  tragic  loss 
of  the  Monitor.  In  Commander  Trenchard's 
private  papers  there  appears  a  sequel  to  the 
loss  of  that  ill-fated  ironclad  which  has  escaped 
general  attention,  and  which  will  be  given  in 
Commander  Trenchard's  own  words.  The 
Navy  Department  had  decided  to  transfer  the 
newly  constructed  Passaic,  Montauk,  and  the 
Monitor,  the  last  being  commanded  by  Captain 
John  Pine  Bankhead,  from  Hampton  Roads 
to  Port  Royal,  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in 
the  operations  on  that  part  of  the  Confederate 
coast. 

Commander  Trenchard  in  his  journal  re 
cords  :  "  Hampton  Roads,  Monday,  December 
29,  1862.  Light  airs  from  the  south  and  west, 
mild  and  pleasant  weather.  The  U.  S.  steamer 


Sinking  of  the  "Monitor."         213 

Connecticiit  arrived  during  the  evening,  and 
soon  afterward  the  iron-clad  steamer  Montauk 
(monitor  No.  3)  came  in  and  anchored.  In 
the  afternoon  we  got  under  way  with  the  Mon 
itor  in  tow,  the  steamer  State  of  Georgia  having 
previously  started  with  the  Passaic  in  tow. 
Issued  the  following  night  orders  :  'The  officer 
of  the  deck  is  directed  to  have  a  very  bright 
lookout  kept  off  the  bow  and  beam.  He  will 
sound  at  ten  o'clock  and  inform  me  of  the  depth 
of  water  :  also  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
The  course  will  be  S.  S.  E.  as  at  present  steered 
until  order  is  changed.  Keep  a  sharp  lookout 
upon  the  Monitor  astern,  and  should  she  signal 
attend  to  it  at  once  ;  then  report  to  me.  Inform 
me  of  every  change  of  wind  and  weather.  The 
speed  of  the  steamer  should  be  regulated  by 
the  sea.  If  it  increases,  moderate  the  speed; 
if  smooth,  increase  it.  Inform  me  when  the 
steamer  has  made  sixty  miles  from  10  P.M.' 

"Tuesday,  December  30,  1862.  The  first 
part  of  the  twenty-four  hours  the  wind  was 
light  from  the  south  and  west ;  clear  and  pleas 
ant.  The  Monitor  is  making  good  headway 
in  the  good  weather  and  is  turning  easily. 
Our  speed  averages  five  to  six  miles  an  hour. 
At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  sighted 

o 


2H  The  Old  Navy. 

Cape  Hatteras  Light,  bearing  west  by  south 
west  fourteen  miles  distant.  The  sea  continued 
smooth  during  the  day,  and  at  sunset  there 
was  every  indication  of  a  favorable  night.  We 
had  got  to  the  south  of  Hatteras  Shoals  and 
anticipated  a  favorable  termination  of  our  voy 
age  the  following  day.  The  steamer  State  of 
Georgia,  with  the  Passaic  in  tow,  was  in  sight 
some  six  or  eight  miles  to  the  north  and  east 
of  us,  and  the  steamer  Cahanta  was  this  side 
of  her  with  a  troop-ship  in  tow.  At  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  wind  commenced 
freshening  and  hauling  more  to  the  south,  and 
by  half-past  nine  o'clock  it  blew  a  gale,  attended 
with  rain  and  squally  weather.  At  nine  o'clock 
Captain  Bankhead  signaled  us  to  stop  the  en 
gines,  and  finding  that  the  Monitor  had  fallen 
off  into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  that  the 
waves  were  making  a  complete  breach  over 
her,  we  started  the  engines  again.  The  steamer 
soon  brought  her  head  to  the  wind  under  easy 
steam,  when  the  Monitor  appeared  to  make 
better  weather. 

"At  ii  P.M.  Captain  Bankhead  signaled 
that  he  required  assistance,  and  upon  stopping 
the  engines,  and  on  the  Monitor  ranging  up 
alongside,  he  hailed,  and  said,  '  The  Monitor  is 


Sinking  of  the  "  Monitor."         215 

sinking  ! '  Our  boats  were  immediately  cleared 
away,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  get  the 
officers  and  crew  from  the  sinking  ironclad  to 
the  Rhode  Island  \v\\h  as  little  delay  as  possible. 
The  port  hawser  with  which  we  were  tow 
ing  the  Monitor  had  parted  in  the  early  part 
of  the  evening,  and  the  stream  cable  was  cut 
by  someone  on  board  the  ironclad.  About 
eleven  o'clock,  or  soon  afterward,  our  boats 
succeeded  in  getting  nearly  all  on  board,  and 
the  first  cutter  had  started  to  get  the  remainder 
on  board,  when,  unhappily,  about  1.30  A.M.,  on 
the  3 ist  of  December,  the  Monitor  suddenly 
disappeared.  Acting  Master's-Mate  D.  Rod 
ney  Brown  was  in  charge  of  the  cutter,  having 
with  him  Charles  H.  Smith,  coxswain,  Morris 
Wagg,  coxswain,  Hugh  Logan,  captain  of  the 
afterguard,  Lewis  A.  Horton,  seaman,  George 
Moore,  seaman,  Luke  M.  Griswold,  ordinary 
seaman,  and  John  Jones,  landsman,  who  com 
posed  the  crew  of  the  boat.  We  lost  sight  of 
the  cutter,  and  kept  as  near  the  position  as 
possible  until  daylight,  and  then  cruised  up  in 
the  direction  of  Hatteras  Shoals  for  the  re 
mainder  of  the  day  in  hopes  of  picking  up  our 
boat.  The  wind  hauled  around  to  the  north 
west  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


216  The  Old  Navy. 

"  THURSDAY,  January  i,  1863. 

"  A  clear,  bright  day  with  a  fresh  northwest 
wind.  We  reached  the  blockading  vessels  off 

o 

Wilmington  this  day.  The  vessels  consisted 
of  the  Maratanza,  Commander  Scott  ;  Chicora, 
Lieutenant-Commander  Truxtun ;  and  the 
Monticello,  Lieutenant-Commander  Braine.  We 
communicated  with  Captain  Scott  and  finding 
that  Captain  Sands,  for  whom  I  had  despatches, 
had  left  for  Beaufort,  I  was  directed  to  pro 
ceed  to  that  place,  and  left  for  there  at  5.30 
P.M. 

"  FRIDAY,  January  2d. 

"At  7.30  A.M.  we  made  the  land  bearing' 
north-northeast,  and  at  10  A.M.  came  to  anchor 
off  the  bar  of  Beaufort.  Went  in  and  com 
municated  with  the  commanding  officer,  and 
reported  the  loss  of  the  Monitor.  We  were 
directed  to  proceed  immediately  to  Hampton 
Roads,  and  at  4.45  P.M.  got  under  way  in  obe 
dience  to  the  order." 

The  fate  of  the  lost  cutter  is  graphically 
described  in  the  papers  of  Commander  Trench- 
ard.  The  first  is  his  report  of  the  occurrence 
to  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


Sinking  of  the  "Monitor."         217 

"  U.  S.  Steamer  Rhode  Island,  BEAUFORT  HARBOR, 

"  January  10,  1863. 


:  —  It  gives  me  great  satisfaction  to  re 
port  that  Acting  Masters-Mate  D.  Rodney 
Brown,  together  with  the  boat's  crew  missing 
from  this  vessel  since  the  loss  of  the  Monitor, 
have  rejoined  the  Rhode  Island,  They  reached 
Beaufort  on  the  second  instant.  I  enclose 
herewith  a  statement  in  detail  of  Mr.  Brown's 
last  trip  in  the  first  cutter  of  this  vessel.  I 
would  respectfully  commend  to  the  considera 
tion  of  the  department  the  noble  conduct  of 
Mr.  Harriman,  commander  of  the  schooner  A. 
Colby  of  Buckport,  Maine,  in  rescuing  our  men, 
in  which  service  his  vessel  sustained  serious  in 
jury  by  getting  on  Diamond  Shoals. 
"  I  am,  very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  STEPHEN  D.  TRENCHARD." 

When  the  Rhode  Islanders  touched  at  Beau 
fort,  January  ist,  and  heard  nothing  of  their 
missing  boat's  crew,  they  gave  the  men  up  as 
lost.  Great  was  their  joy,  however,  on  receiv 
ing  a  despatch  from  Mr.  Brown,  giving  an 
account  of  his  adventures.  The  despatch 
was  dated  January  10,  1863.  It  seems  that 


218  The  Old  Navy. 

after  having  made  two  trips  to  the  Monitor, 
he  started  on  the  third,  and  after  leaving  the 
Rhode  Island,  he  saw  the  red  light  burning 
at  the  flag-staff  of  the  Monitor,  and  apparently 
about  one  mile  distant.  As  the  sea  and  the 
wind  were  against  him,  he  made  but  little  prog 
ress,  yet  he  continued  gaining  until  within  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  Monitor,  when  the  light 
suddenly  became  extinguished.  It  appeared 
to  settle  gradually  in  the  water  as  he  ap 
proached  her  and  then  it  disappeared  alto 
gether.  When  he  approached  to  what  he 
supposed  to  be  the  position  of  the  vessel,  he 
could  perceive  no  other  trace  of  her  except  an 
eddy  produced  by  the  sinking  craft.  He  re 
mained  near  that  position  as  long  as  he  deemed 
prudent,  in  order  to  rescue  any  of  the  crew  who 
might  be  in  the  water.  But  he  found  none. 
He  then  started  for  the  Rhode  Island,  which 
then  appeared  to  be  two  miles  distant,  the 
weather  being  overcast  and  attended  with  a 
slight  rain,  the  wind  hauling  off  to  the  north. 
Soon  afterward  he  lost  sight  of  the  Rhode  Island, 
but  shortly  afterward  saw  the  first,  second,  and 
third  lights.  This  is  the  last  he  saw  of  the 
Rhode  Island  that  night.  He  then  made  a  drag 
of  the  boat's  mast  by  which  he  kept  her  head 


Sinking  of  the  "Monitor."         219 

to  the  sea,  the  men  being  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  a  signal.  As  none  could  be  seen, 
he  then  made  for  the  northward  and  westward, 
finding  the  sea  too  rough  to  pull  directly  to 
the  west,  hoping  to  fall  in  with  some  coasting 
vessel. 

Mr.  Brown  kept  the  boat's  crew  pulling  all 
night  in  order  to  overcome  the  great  strength 
of  the  current.  He  thought  that  if  they  did 
not  do  this  they  would  drift  far  away  from  the 
track  of  all  vessels  before  daylight.  At  break 
of  day  he  discovered  a  schooner  some  four  or 
five  miles  away  from  them.  He  also  men 
tioned  seeing  a  small  boat  some  distance  off 
with  two  or  three  men  in  her,  observing  her  as 
she  rose  two  or  three  times  upon  the  crest  of 
a  wave  and  then  disappearing.  At  this  time 
Brown's  crew  was  taken  up  with  the  manage 
ment  of  their  own  boat,  the  sea  being  very  irreg 
ular  and  the  waves  seeming  to  come  from  all 
quarters.  After  losing  sight  of  the  schooner  re 
ferred  to,  Mr.  Brown  saw  a  large  ship  close 
hauled,  the  wind  being-  from  the  northward  and 

o 

eastward.  He  had  approached  her  sufficiently 
near  to  make  out  the  men  upon  her  decks, 
but  she  passed  on  without  noticing  his  signals 
for  assistance.  He  then  pulled  directly  in  for 


220  The  Old  Navy. 

the  land,  which  he  estimated  to  be  about  ten 
miles  distant. 

This  was  about  half-past  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  December  3ist,  and  about  an  hour 
afterward  he  made  a  schooner  to  leeward.  He 
got  up  the  crew's  coats  in  order  to  make  the 
sail,  and  broke  some  of  his  oars  to  assist  in 
rigging  the  sail.  He  then  ran  down  for  the 
schooner,  and  about  eleven  o'clock  managed 
to  get  alongside.  The  schooner  proved  to 
be  the  A.  Colby,  commanded  by  H.  D.  Harri- 
man,  of  Buckport,  Maine,  bound  for  Fernan- 
dina,  with  bricks  for  government  use.  Mr. 
Brown  and  his  crew  were  received  with  every 
kindness. 

The  cutter  was  taken  aboard  the  schooner, 
and  Mr.  Harriman  was  requested  to  change 
his  course  so  far  as  to  land  the  officers  and 
men  at  Beaufort,  N.  C.  This  he  consented 
to  do,  but  in  running  in  for  the  coast,  with  a 
view  of  ascertaining  more  correctly  his  posi 
tion,  having  been  without  an  observation  for 
several  days,  his  schooner  struck  on  Diamond 
Shoals,  off  Cape  Hatteras.  Being  laden 
with  brick,  which  strained  the  vessel  danger 
ously  every  time  she  struck  bottom,  it  was 
feared  that  the  A.  Colby  would  soon  go  to 


Sinking  of  the  "Monitor."         221 

pieces.  As  it  was,  she  began  to  leak  danger 
ously.  Mr.  Harriman  managed  to  get  her 
afloat,  and,  continuing  on  his  course  for  Beau 
fort,  he  anchored  that  night  under  the  land 
near  Cape  Hatteras  Inlet.  The  men  were 
kept  constantly  at  work  pumping  out  the 
water  as  fast  as  it  leaked  in.  On  the  follow 
ing  day  they  sighted  a  steamer,  and  made  the 
signal  of  distress.  Harriman  went  aboard  the 
vessel,  which  proved  to  be  the  U.  S.  gunboat 
Miami,  Captain  Townsend.  Mr.  Harriman 
reported  the  situation  of  his  schooner  and 
the  crew,  upon  which  Captain  Townsend  de 
spatched  a  boat  with  twelve  men,  to  assist  in 
getting  the  schooner  into  port. 

That  same  afternoon  they  started  for  Beau 
fort,  reaching  there  on  the  morning  of  the  2d 
of  January.  Arriving  there,  Mr.  Brown  re 
ported  to  Captain  Drayton,  the  senior  naval 
officer,  requesting  that  he  and  his  crew  might 
be  permitted  to  remain  on  board  the  A.  Colby, 
to  assist  the  captain  in  keeping  his  vessel 
afloat  until  a  certain  amount  of  the  cargo 
could  be  removed,  and  be  placed  in  a  position 
to  work  his  vessel  with  his  own  crew.  The 
Rhode  Island's  boat-crew  remained  on  board 
the  A.  Colby,  giving  every  assistance  to  her 


222  The  Old  Navy. 

people,  until  January  5th,  when  they  went  on 
board  the  store-ship  William  Adger,  Captain 
Carley,  by  whom  Mr.  Brown  and  his  own  men 
were  treated  with  every  attention,  and  upon 
the  arrival  of  the  Rhode  Island,  the  following 
day,  they  rejoined  their  own  vessel.  Mr. 
Brown  speaks  of  Mr.  Harriman  in  the  follow 
ing  terms  :  "  I  cannot  say  too  much  in  praise 
of  Captain  Harriman,  who  did  all  that  could 
be  done,  and  thought  nothing  of  the  trouble 
to  which  they  were  necessarily  put  by  altering 
his  original  voyage  ;  and  although  all  he  pos 
sessed  was  the  schooner,  yet  he  told  me  when 
she  struck  that  he  would  willingly  lose  her  in 
order  to  save  anyone,  and  if  he  should  lose 
his  vessel  and  cargo  he  never  would  regret 
having  taken  us  on  board." 

o 

In  his  official  report  of  the  loss  of  the 
Monitor,  Commander  Bankhead  said :  "I 
must  testify  to  the  untiring  efforts  and  zeal 
displayed  by  Captain  Trenchard  to  rescue  the 
crew  of  the  Monitor.  Every  attention  and 
kindness  have  been  shown  to  us  by  Captain 
Trenchard  and  his  officers,  to  whom  we  all 
feel  deeply  grateful." 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

ON    SPECIAL    DUTY. 

A  LTHOUGH  the  Rhode  Island's  first  ex- 
/JL  perience  as  a  cruiser  had  been  attended 
with  danger,  and  nearly  resulted  in  the  loss  of 
one  of  her  boat's  crews,  yet  the  plucky  Rhode 
Islanders  were  far  from  being  discouraged  and 
looked  forward  to  another  cruise  with  eager 
ness.  On  Monday,  January  12,  1863,  they 
left  Hampton  Roads  with  the  monitor  Passaic 
in  tow  for  Port  Royal,  where  Commander 
Trenchard  was  to  report  to  Rear-Admiral  Du 
Pont  for  duty  on  the  South  Atlantic  station. 
Commander  Trenchard  arrived  at  this  port  in 
safety,  and  on  January  23d  he  received  the  fol 
lowing  instructions  from  the  Rear-Admiral  : 
"  You  will  proceed  with  the  Rhode  Island  un 
der  your  command  off  Charleston,  and  report 

for  duty  to  Captain  Sylvanus  William  Godon, 

223 


224  The  Old  Navy. 

the  senior  officer  present."  The  peculiar  na 
ture  of  the  duty  assigned  to  the  Rhode  Island 
will  be  seen  in  the  note  sent  at  the  same  time 
by  Rear-Admiral  Du  Pont  to  Captain  Godon  : 
"  I  desire  you  to  give  the  Rhode  Island  a  station 
nearest  the  bar,  so  that  a  system  of  reconnois- 
sance  and  soundings  may  be  commenced  in 
the  channels.  This  must  be  done  at  night 
and  with  the  greatest  caution,  in  order  not  to 
excite  the  attention  of  the  enemy.  You  are 
not  only  to  obtain  the  depth  of  water,  but  the 
features  of  the  channels,  so  as  to  enable  the 
pilots  to  plant  the  buoys  in  one  night" 

On  the  day  this  order  reached  Commander 
Trenchard  he  received  a  counter-order  from 
Rear-Admiral  Du  Pont  as  follows  :  "  Not 
withstanding  the  important  duty  upon  which  I 
sent  you  this  morning,  I  have  received  a  de 
spatch  from  the  Navy  Department  to  send  a 
steamer  to  Hampton  Roads  to  tow  the  Wee- 
hawken  to  Port  Royal.  You  will  transfer  the 
pilots  now  on  board  the  Rhode  Island  to  the 
Augusta  to  relieve  you  off  Charleston."  In  a 
postscript  Rear-Admiral  Du  Pont  adds  in  his 
own  handwriting  :  "  You  will  not  mention  your 
destination  or  its  object  to  anyone  in  your  ship 
or  to  anyone  off  Charleston,  as  I  desire  it  should 


On  Special  Duty.  225 

not  be  known  to  anyone  but  the  senior  officer 
present.     S.  F.  D.  P." 

While  in  Hampton  Roads,  in  obedience  to 
this  last  order,  the  following  telegram  from  the 
Navy  Department,  dated  January  29th,  again 
changed  the  programme  marked  out  for  the 
Rhode  Island:  ''The  Confederate  war-steamer 
Oreto  (Florida)  left  Havana  on  the  22d  inst.  ! 
She  burned  a  brig  off  Matanzas  and  three 
vessels  off  Cardenas.  She  has  probably  gone 
to  the  old  Bahama  Channel.  You  will  pro 
ceed  in  that  direction  with  the  UTMOST  DE 
SPATCH  and  report  for  duty  to  Acting-Rear-Ad- 
miral  Wilkes,  by  letter,  when  possible.  But 
your  first  duty  is  to  chase  the  Oreto  or  the 
Alabama. — GIDEON  WELLES."  The  Florida  had 
just  made  her  extraordinary  escape  through 
the  National  blockading  squadron  off  Mobile, 
and  ran  into  Nassau.  She  was  built  in  Liver 
pool,  exactly  on  the  lines  of  the  British  gun 
boats  of  that  day.  The  Alabama,  on  January 
iith,  had  sunk  the  United  States  gunboat 
Hatteras  off  Galveston,  and  it  was  thought  that 
she  might  be  now  skirting  along  the  Atlantic 
coast.  Taken  altogether,  the  situation  was 
well  calculated  to  cause  excitement  in  the  little 
gunboat. 


226  The  Old  Navy. 

Immediately  there  was  a  stir  of  hasty  prepa 
rations  for  departure  that  spoke  well  for  the 
fighting  qualities  of  the  officers  and  men. 
The  prospect  of  a  brush  with  the  Florida  or  the 
Alabama  sent  the  blood  of  the  Rhode  Islanders 
tingling  through  their  veins,  and  the  order  to 
get  under  way  was  obeyed  with  alacrity.  The 
ship  left  Hampton  Roads  a  few  hours  after 
the  receipt  of  the  telegram.  Extra  lookouts 
were  stationed  and  unusual  precautions  were 
taken  to  discover  any  sail  or  smoke  that  bore 
the  slightest  resemblance  to,  or  would  give  a 
cue  to  the  whereabouts  of,  the  Confederate 
cruisers. 

On  the  third  day  out  the  desire  for  a  brush 
with  a  Confederate  warship  seemed  likely  to 
be  gratified. 

This  day,  Monday,  February  2,  1863, 
dawned  with  showers  of  rain  and  squalls  of 
wind  which  made  it  extremely  difficult  to  dis 
cover  a  ship  more  than  a  mile  away.  Soon 
after  day  broke,  6.40  A.M.,  the  lookout  reported 
that  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  steamer, 
through  a  rift  in  the  fog,  under  sail  and  steam. 
From  the  peculiar  appearance  of  the  smoke  it 
was  known  that  she  was  burning  English  coal, 
and  soon  afterward,  when  the  outlines  of  the 


On  Special  Duty.  227 

stranger  were  more  distinctly  made  out,  it  was 
seen  that  she  was  of  English  construction. 
At  that  time  the  stranger  was  about  five  or 
six  miles  from  the  Rhode  Island,  and  steering 
in  a  northeasterly  direction.  Descriptions  of 
the  celebrated  Alabama  and  Florida  had  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Union  commanders, 
and  the  appearance  of  this  stranger  conformed 
with  the  description  of  the  former  so  perfectly 
(with  the  exception  of  the  raking  masts,  which 
might  have  been  refitted  since  the  description  of 
the  Alabama  was  sent  out)  that  everybody  felt 
sure  they  were  in  the  presence  of  the  formidable 
commerce-destroyer. 

Commander  Trenchard  immediately  gave 
orders  to  get  up  a  full  head  of  steam,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  Rhode  Island  was  bound 
ing  after  the  chase,  pounding  the  waves  with 
her  rapidly  revolving  paddle-wheels,  and 
splashing  the  foam  behind  her  like  an  excited 
duck.  Efforts  to  increase  her  speed  were 
made  by  spreading  every  inch  of  canvas  that 
the  steamer  could  carry,  and  for  a  time  it 
seemed  as  if  they  were  gaining.  Then  again 
it  seemed  as  if  the  Rhode  Island  was  no  more 
than  holding  her  own,  but  after  the  chase  had 
lasted  five  hours  it  was  apparent  to  everyone 


228  The  Old  Navy. 

on  board  that  the  stranger  was  gradually  draw 
ing  away.  It  was  also  seen  that  the  chase  was 
resorting  to  extraordinary  means  for  increas 
ing  her  speed,  as  the  discoloration  of  her 
smoke  showed  plainly  enough  that  her  firemen 
were  throwing  rosin  and  pitch  on  the  fires.  The 
fact  that  the  vessel  had  rosin  and  pitch  aboard 
in  any  quantities  seemed  to  indicate  that  the 
vessel  was  from  some  Southern  port,  whence 
much  of  these  commodities  came,  or  had  re 
ceived  a  supply  of  it  at  some  of  the  alleged 
neutral  ports  or  from  some  blockade-runner. 
In  any  event  the  Rhode  Islanders  were  more 
convinced  than  ever  that  they  were  pursuing  a 
Confederate  craft.  By  sunset  the  chase  was 
hulled  down  about  twelve  miles  ahead.  The 
Rhode  Island  continued  the  pursuit  during  the 
night  with  the  hope  that  some  accident  might 
befall  the  stranger's  machinery  or  that  her  fuel 
might  give  out.  All  night  long  the  plucky 
little  gunboat  kept  up  the  chase.  The  next 
day  dawned  with  a  clearing  sky,  but  nothing 
could  be  seen  of  the  stranger,  not  even  from 
the  masthead,  and  Commander  Trenchard 
reluctantly  changed  his  course. 

At  6  A.M.  a  large  sailing-vessel  was  sighted 
standing  to  the  east,  but  as  there  was  nothing 


On  Special  Duty.  229 

suspicious  about  her  no  attempt  was  made  to 
get  aboard.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  day 
it  blew  a  heavy  gale,  the  wind  suddenly  shift 
ing  to  different  quarters,  creating  a  dangerous 
cross-sea  and  causing  the  gunboat  to  labor 
heavily.  Before  evening  fears  were  entertained 
for  the  safety  of  the  cruiser.  Ponderous 
waves  broke  over  her,  sweeping  entirely  across 
the  decks,  and  washing  away  the  forward  sec 
tion  of  her  wheel-houses.  Commander  Trench- 
ard  was  compelled  to  bring  the  head  of  the 
Rhode  Island  to  the  wind,  and  under  easy  steam 
he  rode  out  the  storm  for  the  remainder  of 
the  night.  Efforts  were  made  to  abate  the 
violence  of  the  waves  by  pouring  oil  on  the  sea. 
This  was  done  in  conformity  to  instructions 
that  were  issued  to  our  officers  to  make  this 
experiment  from  time  to  time.  Commander 
Trenchard  makes  no  reference  in  his  journal 
to  the  success  of  this  measure  to  calm  the  sea. 
By  dawn,  February  4th,  the  wind  abated,  and 
at  noon  the  ship  was  on  her  course  again. 
At  ii  A.M.,  February  6th,  Commander  Trench 
ard  boarded  the  British  brig  Ella  from  New 
York  bound  for  Nassau.  At  three  o'clock  that 
afternoon  he  passed  a  large  armed  ship  stand 
ing  to  the  south  and  east.  At  8.30  o'clock 


230  The  Old  Navy. 

that  evening  he  passed  Hole-in-the-Wall  Light 
on  Alico.  At  11  P.M.  he  spoke  the  American 
ship  Stromboli irom  New  York  to  New  Orleans. 

Two  days  later,  while  cruising  near  the  Old 
Bahama  Channel,  the  Rhode  Island  discovered 
the  smoke  of  another  steamer  and  gave  chase. 
This  time  the  little  gunboat  was  more  success 
ful  and  overtook  the  British  mail  steamer 
Dashaway,  from  Havana  for  St.  Thomas.  On 
the  following  day  the  Rhode  Island  boarded  the 
English  steamer  Pacific,  from  New  York  for 
Cardenas.  After  boarding  a  Spanish  man-of- 
war,  the  Rhode  Island,  on  February  loth,  put 
into  Key  West  for  repairs  and  coal.  Twelve 
days  later,  on  February  22d,  being  the  anni 
versary  of  Washington's  birthday,  the  cruiser 
was  bedecked  with  flags,  and  at  noon,  together 
the  flagship  St.  Lawrence,  fired  a  salute  in  honor 
of  the  day. 

The  Rhode  Island  left  Key  West  at  five 
o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  February  23d  and 
ran  into  Havana,  where  she  found  the  United 
States  cruiser  Sonoma,  Commander  Thomas 
Holdup  Stevens.  At  this  place  Commander 
Trenchard  exchanged  salutes  with  the  Spanish 
Admiral  and  also  with  the  town.  In  company 
with  Capt.  Daniel  Boone  Ridgely  of  theSantz- 


On  Special  Duty.  231 

ago  de  Cuba,  Commander  Trenchard  called 
upon  the  Spanish  Admiral,  and  in  the  evening 
they  paid  a  visit  to  Mr.  Shufeldt,  the  United 
States  Consul-General  in  that  port,  at  his 
country-seat.  Mr.  Shufeldt  also  visited  the 
Rhode  Island.  The  Rhode  Island  2J\&  the  San 
tiago  de  Ciiba  left  Havana  in  company,  Febru 
ary  25th.  These  two  vessels  proceeded  directly 
to  the  Bahama  Banks,  where  they  anchored 
in  five  fathoms  of  water,  hoping  to  intercept 
Confederate  blockade-runners.  A  number  of 
vessels  were  spoken  on  the  way  with  the  ex 
pectation  of  gaining  information  as  to  the 
movements  of  Confederate  vessels.  On  Feb 
ruary  27th  the  cruisers  got  under  way  again 
and  cruised  to  the  southeast.  At  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning  a  sail  was  discovered  to  the 

o 

east,  standing  to  the  northwest  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Great  Bahama  Banks.  The  Ameri 
can  gunboats  bore  down  for  the  stranger,  and 
as  they  drew  near  her  she  appeared  to  be  a 
very  suspicious  character.  It  proved  to  be  a 
screw  steamer,  and  answered  exactly  to  the 
description  the  Union  commanders  had  re 
ceived  of  the  Confederate  commerce-destroyer, 
Florida.  Believing  that  they  had  that  vessel 
in  sight,  and  fearing  that  she  would  cross  the 


232  The  Old  Navy. 

Banks,  thus  giving  the  gunboats  the  slip,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  endeavored  to  cut  her  off. 
The  two  gunboats  rapidly  overhauled  the  chase, 
but  it  was  not  until  they  had  reached  the  edge 
of  the  Banks  that  they  came  within  gunshot. 
Commander  Trenchard  now  fired  a  blank  car 
tridge  to  induce  the  stranger  to  heave-to.  This 
did  not  have  the  desired  effect,  and  a  moment 
later  a  shell  was  sent  hissing  and  ricocheting 
over  the  waves  just  in  front  of  the  steamer's 
bows.  This  brought  the  stranger  to  terms,  and 
a  boat  was  lowered  and  prepared  to  be  sent 
aboard  the  stranger.  Meantime,  however,  the 
chase  had  lowered  a  boat,  and,  having  previ 
ously  hoisted  the  English  ensign  and  pendant, 
came  alongside  the  Union  gunboats  to  explain 
her  conduct.  "  It  was  not  until  she  lowered 
her  boat,"  writes  Commander  Trenchard,  "that 
I  could  feel  satisfied  it  was  not  the  Florida." 
The  commander  of  the  steamer  came  aboard 
the  Rhode  Island  and  reported  that  his  vessel 
was  H.  B.  M.  gunboat  Cygnet,  Commander  De 
Kanza.  The  British  commander  was  a  trifle 
indignant  at  the  manner  in  which  his  vessel  had 
been  treated  and  demanded  an  explanation. 
Commander  Trenchard  expressed  his  regrets 
for  the  occurrence,  and  apologized  for  firing 


On  Special  Duty.  233 

the  shell.  Upon  this,  Commander  De  Kanza 
returned  to  his  ship,  and  the  vessels  resumed 
their  original  courses. 

Continuing    their    cruise    in    company,    the 
Rhode  Island  and  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  boarded 

c$ 

several  vessels,  and  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  morn 
ing  of  March  2d  learned  from  the  people  of  an 
English  brig  from  Porto  Rico  bound  for  Santi 
ago  de  Cuba  "  that  the  Confederate  steamer 
Alabama  and  the  United  States  cruiser  Van- 
derbilt,  the  flagship  of  Capt.  Charles  Wilkes's 
flying  squadron,  which  had  been  detailed  espe 
cially  to  capture  the  Confederate  cruisers,  had 
been  seen  in  the  Mona  Passage  on  the  27th  of 
February.  In  hopes  of  learning  something 
more  definite  in  reference  to  the  Alabama,  the 
Rhode  Island  and  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  shaped 
their  course  for  St.  Nicholas  Mole,  arriving 
there  March  3d.  Commander  Trenchard,  in 
company  with  Captain  Ridgely,  called  upon  the 
Governor  and  other  officials,  and  learned  that 
Wilkes  had  left  two  weeks  before.  The  follow 
ing  day  the  two  American  commanders  called 
upon  the  Governor  and  took  dinner  with  him. 
Leaving  this  place  March  5th,  the  Rhode 
Island  and  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  put  to  sea 
and  continued  to  cruise  in  company,  under  a 


234  The  Old  Navy. 

clear  sky,  on  a  smooth  sea,  and  with  balmy 
breezes.  When  south  of  Cuba,  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  Friday,  March  6th,  they 
gave  chase  to  a  suspicious  steamer,  but  upon 
coming  up  with  her  at  6.20  A.M.,  she  proved 
to  be  a  Spanish  merchant  craft.  Commander 
Trenchard  now  exercised  his  crew  at  the  great 
guns  by  firing  at  a  target.  While  this  was 
under  way,  an  accident  occurred  that  came 
near  ending  the  career  of  the  Rhode  Island 
and  her  entire  ship's  company.  The  accident 
was  prevented  by  an  act  of  heroism  on  the 
part  of  one  of  the  crew  that  has  never  been 
surpassed  for  bravery,  and  ranks  the  hero 
with  Reuben  James  and  other  celebrated 
American  tars  who,  by  acts  of  personal  brav 
ery,  have  made  themselves  famous  in  the 
United  States  Navy.  Commander  Trenchard 
says:  "We  were  very  providentially  saved 
from  a  serious  accident.  While  the  men  were 
engaged  in  firing  at  the  targets,  a  shell  fell 
into  the  shot-locker,  its  leaden  patch  became 
detached  from  the  fuse,  which  ignited  by  the 
shell  coming  in  contact  with  other  shells  in 
the  locker."  Had  the  shell  exploded  in  the 
locker  the  result  would  have  been  terrific. 
Realizing  the  peril,  Master-at-Arms  Richard 


On  Special  Duty.  235 

Luscomb  seized  the  shell,  with  its  hissing 
fuse,  in  his  hands,  and  handed  it  to  Acting- 
Master's-Mate  William  Rogers,  who  hastened 
with  it  to  the  deck  above,  and,  at  the  immi 
nent  risk  of  being  blown  to  pieces,  rushed  to 
the  bulwark  and  threw  it  overboard.  The 
heroic  act  was  done  so  quickly  that  only  a  few 
at  the  moment  realized  from  what  a  terrible 
catastrophe  they  had  escaped.  Commander 
Trenchard  said  :  "  We  cannot  feel  too  thankful 
for  this  kindly  and  providential  preservation." 
An  amusing  incident  occurred  on  the  fol- 

o 

lowing  day  which  shows  how  a  serious  disas 
ter  might  result  aboard  a  warship  in  time 
of  war  from  the  most  pacific  intentions.  Be 
ing  anxious  to  get  news  of  the  Confederate 
blockade-runners'  cruisers,  Captain  Ridgely, 
of  the  Santiago  de  Cuba,  while  still  cruising  in 
company  with  the  Rhode  Island,  March  7th 
gave  chase  to  a  brig  that  was  discovered  to 
the  south  of  Cumberland  Harbor,  Cuba.  The 
only  object  of  the  pursuit  was  to  obtain  news, 
but  the  brig's  people,  finding  themselves  pur 
sued  by  a  formidable-looking  gunboat,  be 
came  greatly  frightened  and  made  directly 
for  the  shore,  evidently  intending  to  wreck 
their  vessel  rather  than  allow  her  to  be  over 


236  The  Old  Navy. 

taken.  Fearing  that  the  master  of  the  brig 
might  carry  out  his  suicidal  intentions  if  the 
Santiago  de  Cuba  persisted  in  the  chase,  Cap 
tain  Ridgely  gave  up  the  pursuit  and  rejoined 
the  Rhode  Island. 

On  Sunday,  March  8th,  Commander  Trench- 
ard  notes :  "  First  part  of  the  day,  light  airs 
from  the  south  and  east  ;  latter  part,  light 
breezes  from  the  north  and  east,  and  pleasant. 
At  10.30  A.M.  performed  divine  service." 
Services  also  were  held  in  the  Santiago  de 
Cuba.  The  calm  of  the  Sabbath  day  was 
agreeably  broken  by  the  alternate  songs  of 
praise  that  were  wafted  in  a  light  balmy 
breeze  from  one  vessel  to  another.  The  peace 
of  the  Sabbath  was  broken  about  noon  by  the 
Santiago  de  Cuba  giving  chase  to  a  vessel 
which  proved  to  be  an  English  bark  from  San 
tiago  de  Cuba  for  England,  laden  with  cop 
per.  At  half-past  two  in  the  afternoon  the 
American  bark  Casco,  of  and  from  New  York, 
nine  days  out,  for  Santiago  de  Cuba,  was 
boarded.  While  running  for  this  bark  a  very 
suspicious-looking  vessel  hove  in  sight.  Com 
mander  Trenchard  sent  his  men  to  quarters 
and  prepared  for  action,  but  the  stranger 
proved  to  be  a  Spanish  steam  frigate. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

LEISURELY    CRUISING. 

ON  March  gth  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  and 
the  Rhode  Island  ran  into  Cape  Hay- 
tien,  where  they  exchanged  a  salute  of  twenty- 
one  guns  with  the  Haytian  flag,  after  which 
Captain  Ridgely  and  Commander  Trenchard 
went  on  shore  and  paid  a  visit  to  the  town  offi 
cials.  The  next  day  the  United  States  consul 
visited  the  National  gunboats,  each  vessel 
saluting  him  with  seven  guns.  On  March 
nth  Captain  Ridgely  and  Commander 
Trenchard  visited  the  country-seat  of  a  rich 
Haytian  merchant  some  miles  inland,  where 
they  were  sumptuously  entertained. 

The  little  cruisers  left  Cape  Haytien  March 
1 2th,  and  passing  between  Tortuga  and  Hayti 
continued  their  cruise  in  company.  Touching 
at  St.  Nicholas  Mole,  and  finding  no  vessels 

237 


238  The  Old  Navy. 

there,  they  resumed  their  course  southward 
under  easy  steam  and  sail,  boarding  a  number 
of  American,  English,  and  Spanish  vessels. 
At  5.20  P.M.  March  i4th,  when  abreast  of 
Cape  Filusan,  a  steamer  was  discovered  in 
shore,  but  soon  afterward,  a  fog  settling  down, 
they  lost  sight  of  her,  but  on  the  following 
day  she  was  again  discovered  and  proved  to 
be  a  British  gunboat,  flying  the  blue  ensign. 
The  American  cruisers  fell  in  with  this  same 
gunboat  the  next  day.  Soon  afterward  they 
met  the  United  States  man-of-war  Vanderbilt, 
the  flagship  of  Captain  Wilkes,  and  accom 
panied  her  into  the  harbor  of  St.  Nicholas 
Mole,  where  she  was  saluted  with  seventeen 
guns,  to  which  she  responded  with  seven. 

At  nine  o'clock  that  evening  the  Vanderbilt 
put  to  sea,  leaving  the  Rhode  Island  and  the 
Santiago  de  Cuba  in  port.  Captain  Ridgely 
and  Commander  Trenchard  called  on  the  local 
authorities  and  proceeded  to  sea  on  the  even 
ing  of  the  same  day.  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  in  his  journal : 

"  THURSDAY,  March  19,  1863. 

"  Light  variable  breezes  andpleasant  weather. 
While  off  the  harbor  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  we 
spoke  the  English  brig  W.  A.  Rodgers  of 


Leisurely  Cruising.  239 

Yarmouth,  bound  in  from  St.  John's.  At 
12.20  P.M.  we  anchored  in  the  harbor  of  Santi 
ago  de  Cuba  in  company  with  our  consort 
bearing  the  same  name.  We  saluted  the 
Spanish  flag  with  twenty-one  guns,  which  was 
duly  returned.  The  United  States  consul, 
Mr.  Wallace  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  visited  our 
ship,  and  upon  leaving  we  saluted  him  with 
seven  guns.  A  boat  with  an  officer  from  the 
Spanish  war-steamer  Blanco  de  Garcia  came 
alongside  with  the  usual  offers  of  civilities. 
I  called,  in  company  with  Captain  Ridgely,  on 
His  Excellency  the  Governor,  and  had  a 
pleasant  visit. 

"  FRIDAY,  March  2oth. 

"  Light  airs  from  the  east,  clear  and  pleas 
ant.  I  called  on  the  commander  of  the  Blanco 
de  Garcia,  who  very  politely  went  to  quarters 
and  drilled  his  men  in  various  evolutions,  with 
which  and  the  general  efficiency  aboard  the 
ship  we  were  very  much  pleased." 

The  officers  of  the  Rhode  Island  on  March 
14,  1863,  were  :  Commander  Trenchard  ;  Lieu 
tenant,  Norman  H.  Farquhar  ;  Paymaster, 
Richard  Hall  Douglass ;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
Samuel  G.  Webber ;  Acting  Master,  Wm. 
Williams  ;  Acting  Ensigns,  Albert  Taylor, 


240  The  Old  Navy. 

Daniely  Rodney  Brown,  Douglas  R.  Cassel ; 
Acting  Master's  Mates,  Chas.  F.  Ellmore, 
Calvin  S.  Wilcox ;  Acting  Chief  Engineer, 
John  F.  McCutchen  ;  Second  Assistant  Engi 
neers,  Geo.  H.  Rutter,  James  L.  Marshall  ; 
Third  Assistant  Engineer,  John  Van  Hoven- 
berg  ;  Acting  Third  Assistant  Engineers, 
Joseph  C.  Lewis,  Greenvile  Lewis,  Isaac  S. 
Mench,  Geo.  W.  Keller ;  Captain's  Clerk, 
Fanning  C.  T.  Beck ;  Paymaster's  Clerk, 
Frank  H.  Deal  ;  Acting  Gunner,  John  W. 
Irwin  ;  Surgeon's  Steward,  Wm.  Chandler. 

On  Sunday,  while  religious  service  was 
being  held  on  the  deck  of  the  Rhode  Island, 
in  the  harbor  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  word  was 
received  that  the  Alabama  had  been  seen  out 
side  of  the  harbor.  Instantly  every  prepara 
tion  forgiving  chase  was  made,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  frail  Rhode  Island  would  have 
had  a  hard  time  with  the  formidable  Confed 
erate  cruiser.  Nothing  was  seen  of  the  sup 
posed  Alabama  that  afternoon  or  night,  but 
Commander  Trenchard  continued  the  search, 
hoping  yet  to  fall  in  with  the  famous  Semmes. 
Monday,  March  23d,  dawned  with  light  varia 
ble  airs.  Commander  Trenchard  improved 
his  time  by  exercising  the  crew  in  firing  at  a 


Leisurely  Cruising.  241 

target  with  the  great  guns,  at  distances  varying 
from  twelve  hundred  to  seventeen  hundred 
yards.  At  about  half-past  four  that  afternoon, 
while  the  crew  was  engaged  in  this  work,  a 
steamer  was  discovered,  and  chase  was  imme 
diately  given.  High  hopes  were  entertained 
of  its  being  the  famous  Confederate  cruiser. 
When  the  Rhode  Island  had  come  within  gun 
shot,  she  fired  two  blank  cartridges.  As  this 
did  not  induce  the  stranger  to  show  her  colors, 
the  Rhode  Island,  when  at  a  distance  of  about 
two  miles,  fired  a  rifled  shell  ahead  of  the 
steamer,  when  she  hoisted  French  colors. 
Upon  boarding,  she  was  found  to  be  the 
French  packet  ship  Florida,  from  Santiago  de 
Cuba  for  France. 

Disappointed  at  not  falling  in  with  the  Ala 
bama,  Commander  Trenchard  put  back  to 
Santiago  de  Cuba.  On  the  afternoon  of  March 
24th  he  started  for  a  visit  to  the  coal-mines  in 
the  interior,  in  company  with  a  Captain  Church- 
hill,  of  Portland,  Maine,  and  several  other 
officers.  This  "  land  cruise  "  was  highly  appre 
ciated  by  the  officers,  who  had  so  long  been 
confined  to  the  narrow  limits  of  the  Rhode  Isl- 
and^s  cabins  and  decks.  Commander  Trench 
ard  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  good 

16 


242  The  Old  Navy. 

order  and  generally  prosperous  appearance  of 
the  mine.  He  carefully  inspected  the  process 
of  crushing  and  smelting,  and  in  his  stroll 
around  the  works  was  received  with  every 
courtesy  by  the  officers  of  the  company. 
While  the  Rhode  Island  and  the  Santiago  de 
Cuba  were  in  this  port  the  British  steam  frigate 
Challenger  and  gunboat  Steady  and  the  Span 
ish  war-steamer  Blanco  de  Garcia  arrived. 

As  American  cruisers  were  not  allowed  to 
leave  an  English  port  without  giving  twenty- 
four  hours'  notice,  when  by  so  doing  they  might 
capture  a  Confederate  vessel,  Commander 
Trenchard  called  on  the  Governor,  March  3Oth, 
and  notified  him  of  the  Rhode  Island s  intended 
departure. 

The  American  cruisers  left  the  place  March 
3ist,  and  at  daylight  April  ist  put  into  the 
harbor  of  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  where  the  Eng 
lish  flag  was  saluted  with  twenty-one  guns,  and 
the  British  commandant  with  thirteen  guns, 
which  courtesies  were  promptly  returned. 
While  at  this  place  Commander  Trenchard 
notes :  "  I  called  in  company  with  Captain 
Ridgely  first  on  board  the  British  commodore's 
flagship  Aboukir,  and  learning  that  his  quar 
ters  were  in  the  dockyard  I  called  there.  We 


Leisurely  Cruising.  243 

found  Commodore  Dunlop  a  very  pleasant 
person  and  were  received  by  him  most  hos 
pitably.  The  Nile,  the  flagship  of  Admiral 
Millen  (commander-in-chief),  and  several  other 
British  war-vessels  were  in  port." 

The  Rhode  Island  and  the  Santiago  de  Cuba 
left  Port  Royal  April  2d  and  ran  into  Aux 
Caves,  where  they  called  on  the  officials  of  the 
port  and  breakfasted  with  Messrs.  Brown  and 
Ross,  the  last  named  being  the  United  States 
acting  consul.  The  Acting  Governor  visited 
the  ship  and  was  saluted.  The  cruisers  left 
this  port  April  4th,  and  on  the  second  day  out 
boarded  the  English  schooner  Oriental,  from 
New  York,  bound  for  Aux  Cayes.  Although  the 
vessel's  papers  were  found  to  be  in  proper 
shape,  she  had  no  flag.  The  matter  was  re 
ferred  to  Captain  Ridgely,  who  decided  that 
the  circumstances  did  not  justify  her  seizure, 
upon  which  the  vessels  continued  their  cruise, 
passing  several  small  villages  on  the  island 
during  the  afternoon. 

The  gunboats  then  ran  into  Port  au  Prince, 
where  the  usual  civilities  were  exchanged  with 
the  town  officials.  On  April  8th  the  American 
officials  were  formally  presented  to  His  Ex 
cellency  the  President  of  Hayti,  the  Minister 


244  The  Old  Navy. 

of  Finance,  and  other  officials  of  the  Govern 
ment.  Commander  Trenchard  notes  :  "  The 
President  received  us  in  a  very  friendly  manner, 
expressed  his  desire  to  cultivate  the  strongest 
relations  of  friendship  with  our  country,  from 
its  having  the  same  form  of  government  as  his 
own,  which  was  destined  to  be  one  of  the  great 
est  of  the  nations  and  was  located  so  near 
Hayti.  A  great  many  pleasing  compliments 
were  interchanged.  He  regretted  not  speaking 
English  and  the  officers  French,  in  order  that 
he  might  have  the  pleasure  of  holding  conver 
sation  with  them.  The  President  is  a  man  of 
fine  bearing,  prepossessing  appearance,  and 
pleasing  manners.  The  officers  afterward 
visited  the  tomb  of  Pethion  near  the  palace." 

Hastening  from  one  port  to  another  in  hopes 
of  getting  on  the  track  of  some  Confederate 
cruiser,  especially  that  of  the  Alabama,  the 
Rhode  Island  and  Santiago  de  Cuba  left  Port 
au  Prince  April  8th,  and  in  their  cruise  touched 
at  St.  Nicholas  Mole  and  Cape  Haytian,  run 
ning  into  the  latter  port  for  coal  and  repairs. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

A    ROMANTIC    CRUISE. 

WHILE  at  Cape  Haytien,  April  nth, 
Commander  Trenchard,  together  with 
a  number  of  brother  officers,  took  the  opportu 
nity  of  visiting  the  ruins  of  Christophe's  Castle, 
some  twenty-seven  miles  inland.  The  officers 
left  their  ships  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  after  some  delay  in  getting  the  vicious 
horses  in  a  frame  of  mind  for  being  mounted, 
they  started  out.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
officers  found  that  however  skilful  they  might 
have  been  at  one  time  as  horseback  riders,  they 
were  sadly  out  of  practice,  as  many  a  tumble 
and  stiffened  limb  attested.  The  roads  were 
found  to  be  in  a  wretched  condition,  and  sev 
eral  of  the  officers,  including  Commander 
Trenchard,  were  thrown  from  their  horses. 
At  one  time  the  guides  lost  their  bearing  and 

245 


246  The  Old  Navy. 

it  was  long  before  they  regained  the  trail,  as 
the  miserable  apology  for  a  road  should  have 
been  called. 

After  breakfast  No.  2,  at  a  lonely  house  by 
the  roadside,  about  10  A.M.,  the  journey  was 
resumed.  Winding  their  way  over  a  flat 
country,  the  officers  came  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountains  on  which  the  ruins  of  Christophe's 
Castle  could  be  seen.  Then  the  trail  wound 
up  through  banana  plantations,  and  by  moun 
tain  huts.  Passing  through  the  massive  gates 
of  the  castle,  the  American  officers  inspected 
the  marvels  of  this  wonderful  structure.  Chris- 
tophe  was  the  negro  king  of  a  part  of  Hayti 
early  in  the  century.  He  became  famous  as 
having  originated  the  system  of  monarchy  by 
which  his  dominion  was  divided  into  duke 
doms,  the  heads  of  which  were  known  as  the 
Duke  of  Marmalade,  the  Duke  of  Lemonade, 
etc. 

Commander  Trenchard  gives  the  following 
interesting  description  of  these  ruins  :  "  The 
largest  and  most  complete  of  Christophe's  gar 
risons  was  called  La  Fanire.  It  stood  on  one 
of  the  highest  mountains  of  the  island,  distant 
about  ten  miles  from  Cape  Fran9ois,  com 
manding  a  view  of  many  miles  of  the  coast 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  247 

and  of  the  interior  also.  This  citadel,  as  it 
was  popularly  called,  originally  was  begun  by 
the  French,  who,  after  having  laid  the  founda 
tions  and  erected  part  of  the  walls,  were  obliged, 
from  lack  of  materials  or  from  the  opposition 
of  the  negroes,  to  abandon  the  undertaking. 
From  the  immense  height  of  the  mountain 
and  extent  of  the  country  which  it  commanded 
from  its  ascent  (which  in  many  parts  was  over 
huge  crags  and  in  others  almost  perpendicu 
lar),  and  from  the  ease  and  security  with  which 
an  enemy  might  be  thence  repelled,  it  was  a 
spot  which  offered  the  greatest  advantages. 
These  could  not  escape  the  observation  of 
Christophe. 

"  As  soon,  therefore,  as  he  found  himself 
sufficiently  at  leisure  to  engage  in  an  under 
taking  which  would  occupy  so  much  of  his 
attention  and  time,  he  caused  the  necessary 
materials  for  the  building  to  be  collected,  set 
all  the  workmen  and  soldiers  that  were  capable 
of  rendering  any  assistance  to  labor,  and  gen 
erally  attending  in  person,  allowed  little  or  no 
intermission  of  the  work  till  it  was  completed. 
He  furnished  it  with  all  kinds  of  ammunition 
and  provisions,  occasionally  removing  such 
articles  of  the  latter  as  became  damaged,  and 


248  The  Old  Navy. 

considering  it  the  safest  spot  in  his  territories, 
deposited  ,in  a  secret  part  of  it  the  immense 
sums  of  specie  which  had  fallen  into  his  pos 
session.  Europeans  were  not  permitted  to 
ascend  this  mountain  or  even  to  approach  very 
near  to  it,  nor  could  they,  by  making  inquiries 
of  the  natives  respecting  the  size  of  the  citadel 
and  its  fortifications,  procure  any  information 
at  all  satisfactory  or  reliable.  Its  outer  walls, 
they  affirmed,  were  eighty  feet  in  thickness 
and  of  porportionate  height ;  the  provisions 
with  which  it  was  stored  they  declared  were 
capable  of  supplying  a  great  part  of  the  army 
for  some  years.  The  ammunition  contained 
in  its  magazines  they  represented  as  almost 
inexhaustible,  and  they  further  added  that 
from  one  particular  point  no  less  than  eighty 
pieces  of  cannon  could  be  brought  to  bear  on 
an  enemy  at  once. 

"  But  though  this  account  evidently  was  ex 
aggerated,  it  was  generally  admitted  that  it 
was  impossible  for  the  strongest  army  to  re 
duce  it  by  siege  or  to  take  it  by  force.  On 
account  of  its  peculiar  situation  and  immense 
height,  this  mountain  is  one  of  the  most  inter 
esting  in  the  island.  It  may  be  seen  from  a 
considerable  distance  at  sea,  with  its  citadel 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  249 

towering  high  above  the  numerous  hills  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  as  if  bidding  defiance 
to  any  power  that  might  be  brought  against  it. 
It  looks  far  more  interesting  and  singular 
when,  as  is  frequently  the  case  in  the  early 
part  of  the  morning,  the  beautiful  white  mists 
which  arise  from  the  night  dews  cling  around 
the  summit  of  this  great  mass  of  masonry,  just 
allowing  the  summits  of  the  neighboring  hills 
to  appear,  leaving  the  rest  the  appearance  of 
being  supported  by  the  clouds. 

"  But  on  one  of  those  peculiarly  still,  calm 
evenings  which  occur  in  tropical  climates, 
when  the  usual  breeze  which  had  arisen  died 
away,  the  clouds  suddenly  gathered,  and  col 
lecting  in  wild  and  terrible  confusion,  assum 
ing  innumerable  and  ever-varying  forms,  the 
thunders  burst  forth  in  terrific  and  rapid  suc 
cession  ;  the  rain  poured  down  as  though  the 
windows  of  heaven  had  been  opened,  and  the 
forked  lightning,  intermingling  with  lurid 
flashes,  threw  a  dismal  and  appalling  glare  on 
every  object.  In  a  moment,  the  citadel  on 
which  so  much  labor  and  expense  had  been 
bestowed  was  one  heap  of  ruins.  The  ammuni 
tion  lodged  in  it  had  exploded  ;  the  stores  it 
contained  were  destroyed  ;  of  the  specie,  some 


250  The  Old  Navy. 

was  thrown  an  immense  distance,  and  some 
scattered  on  the  sides  of  the  mountain  and 
out  of  the  three  hundred  soldiers,  only  a  few 
escaped.  They  hastened  in  wild  amazement 
to  Cape  Fran£ois  to  tell  of  the  dreadful  catas 
trophe.  The  first  object  of  Christophe's  after 
this  accident  was  to  gather  up  all  the  specie 
that  could  be  found.  He  then  selected  from 
the  materials  of  the  ruined  structure  such  as 
were  still  fit  for  use,  and  collecting  others, 
caused  it  to  be  rebuilt  without  delay.  At 
tributing  the  accident  chiefly  to  the  explosion 
of  the  ammunition,  he  now  put  only  a  small 
quantity  in  the  castle,  such  as  was  necessary 
for  immediate  use.  Strengthening  and  im 
proving  the  castle  from  time  to  time,  he  at 
length  rendered  it  a  greater  place  of  conse 
quence  and  security  than  before."  Commander 
Trenchard  and  his  brother  officers  spent  many 
hours  wandering  among  the  massive  ruins, 
and  then  returned  to  their  ships. 

Leaving  Cape  Haytien,  April  i6th,  the  two 
vessels  cruised  in  company  between  latitude 
28°  and  28°  30'  north,  and  longitude  77°  and 
78°  west,  boarding  and  speaking  a  number  of 
American  and  English  vessels.  About  four 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  23d,  they  fell 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  251 

in  with  a  warship  which,  in  the  uncertain  light 
of  early  dawn,  could  not  readily  be  distin 
guished,  and  hoping  that  it  might  prove  to  be 
a  Confederate  vessel,  the  National  cruisers 
approached  with  caution.  The  stranger,  how 
ever,  proved  to  be  the  United  States  gunboat 
Tioga,  which  sent  a  boat  aboard  the  Rhode 
Island.  The  Tioga  also  was  on  a  general 
cruise,  and  after  an  exchange  of  civilities  she 
resumed  her  course,  while  the  Santiago  de 
Ciiba  and  the  Rhode  Island  ran  into  Key 
West. 

While  in  this  port,  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  that  the  ward-room  officers  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna,  on  the  evening  of  April  28th,  "  gave 
a  party  which  was  very  generally  attended  by 
the  ladies  of  Key  West  and  the  officers  of  the 
Susquehanna.  It  was  a  brilliant  affair,  and 
went  off  very  well."  During  the  next  ten 
days  the  Rhode  Island  remained  in  this  port, 
a  number  of  social  courtesies  were  exchanged 
between  officers  of  other  war-vessels  and  peo 
ple  living  on  shore.  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  that  on  April  2Qth  the  army  steamer 
McClellan  came  in  with  a  prize  in  tow. 

The  Rhode  Island  left  Key  West  May  7th, 
and  put  into  Havana  on  the  following  day, 


252  The  Old  Navy. 

where  she  found  the  United  States  warship 
yuntata,  Lieutenant  John  Mellen  Brady  Clitz, 
the  Somona,  Commander  Thomas  Holdup 
Stevens,  arriving  on  the  following  day.  In 
company  with  Lieutenant  Clitz,  Commander 
Trenchard  called  on  the  Spanish  Admiral, 
who  was  in  port  at  the  time.  The  Rhode  Isl 
and  left  Havana  May  loth,  and  resumed  her 
cruise,  falling  in  with  a  number  of  vessels 
every  day.  On  May  nth  she  met  the  Octo- 
rara,  and  delivering  her  mails  made  for 
Nassau. 

While  on  her  way  to  this  port  Commander 
Trenchard  notes:  "Thursday,  May  12,  1863. 
Moderate  breezes  from  the  north  and  east  and 
pleasant.  At  8.15  A.M.  made  a  steamer  of  a 
suspicious  appearance  to  the  east  of  us.  We 
promptly  gave  chase,  upon  which  she  hoisted 
English  colors.  We  fired  a  blank  cartridge,  as 
a  Confederate  vessel  might  have  hoisted  Eng 
lish  colors  as  a  ruse  to  escape.  As  she  paid 
no  attention  to  the  blank  cartridge,  we  fired  a 
shell  across  her  bow,  but  as  she  still  continued 
on  her  course  we  fired  several  other  shells,  and 
pursued  her  to  within  three  miles  of  the  land, 
where  we  ceased  firing,  as  the  Rhode  Island  had 
got  within  four  and  a  half  miles  of  the  shore. 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  253 

We  then  gave  up  the  chase  (the  steamer  hav 
ing  anchored  at  Salt  Key  entrance)  and  con 
tinued  on  our  own  course  for  Nassau,  off  of 
which  place  we  anchored  at  1.20  P.M." 

At  Nassau  Commander  Trenchard  had  his 
first  experience  with  the  unfriendly  attitude  of 
the  British  Government  toward  the  Northern 
States  during  the  Civil  War.  Immediately  on 
entering  the  harbor  he  was  boarded  by  the 
United  States  consul,  who  visited  the  ship,  after 
which  the  Rhode  Island  exchanged  salutes  with 
the  forts,  and  also  saluted  the  consul  as  he  de 
parted  with  seven  guns.  Commander  Trench 
ard  accompanied  the  consul  on  shore,  and  called 
with  him  upon  the  Governor.  "The  pleasure 
of  this  visit,"  writes  Commander  Trenchard, 
"  was  interrupted  by  the  Governor  expressing 
his  intention  of  detaining  us  twenty-four  hours 
to  enable  a  Confederate  vessel  to  go  out.  Upon 
consulting  Her  Majesty's  proclamation  we 
found  there  was  absolutely  no  just  cause  for 
detaining  us.  We  called  the  Governor's  atten 
tion  to  this,  so  that  he  had  not  the  satisfaction 
of  keeping  us  beyond  the  few  hours  that  were 
necessary  to  communicate  with  our  consul. 
Upon  the  whole  His  Excellency  was  rather  an 
agreeable  person,  and  dispensed  his  hospitality 


254  The  Old  Navy. 

with  ease  and  friendship.  I  called  on  my  way 
out  on  the  commander  of  the  British  warship 
Baravata,  who  had  kindly  sent  an  officer  with 
the  usual  proffers  of  assistance.  I  had  a  de 
lightful  visit,  and  was  glad  on  having  met  with 
the  captain  of  the  British  gunboat." 

The  Rhode  Island  left  Nassau  May  I2th,  and 
on  the  following  day  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  :  "  First  part  of  the  day  the  wind  was 
light  from  the  north  and  east,  while  the  latter 
part  was  cloudy.  At  3.30  A.M.  we  discovered  a 
steamer  and  gave  chase.  Shortly  afterward 
we  went  to  quarters  and  fired  a  blank  cartridge 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  stranger  to. 
Upon  this  the  chase  showed  English  colors, 
but  did  not  stop  until  a  shell  was  fired  ahead 
of  her  two  hours  later.  She  proved  to  be  the 
English  steamer  Corsica,  from  Nassau  for  New 
York.  The  Rhode  Island  boarded  a  number 
of  other  vessels  that  day." 

On  May  13,  1863,  Captain  Wilkes  sent  Com 
mander  Trenchard  the  following  instructions  : 
"  It  has  appeared  to  me  that  the  presence  of  the 
Rhode  Island  and  Santiago  de  Cuba  may  not  be 
needed  off  Jamaica  for  a  few  days.  It  would 
be  advisable  for  you  to  occupy  the  off-shore 
ground  mentioned  in  my  instructions  to  Cap- 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  255 

tain  Ridgely,  now  in  possession  of  Commander 
Robert  Davis  Wyman,  during  the  dark  days 
of  the  moon  coming,  unless  you  have  such  other 
information  as  will  call  you  to  more  important 
duty  on  the  ground  pointed  out  in  the  instruc 
tions  recently  sent  you.  Just  at  this  time  it 
seems  to  me  all-important  to  prevent  the  block 
ade-runners  from  affording  any  aid  or  comfort 
to  the  rebels,  and  the  presence  of  the  Rhode 
Island  and  Santiago  de  C^lba  may  be  of  service 
in  checking  them  from  going  forward,  if  not  in 
capturing  them.  The  dark  nights  of  the  moon 
should  be  the  limit  of  your  stay  on  the  grounds 
to  the  northward.  You  will  leave  a  report  on 
board  of  the  National  Guard  for  me  in  regard 
to  your  action,  that  I  may  get  early  advice  from 
you  in  case  of  my  touching  there,  which  seems 
to  me  very  uncertain  just  now." 

On  May  izj-th  the  Rhode  Island  made  the  isl 
and  of  San  Salvador,  and  Commander  Trench- 
ard  took  occasion  to  visit  the  spot  where  Co 
lumbus  was  supposed  to  have  first  placed  foot 
in  the  New  World.  At  9.30  A.M.,  May  1 5th,  the 
gunboat  came  to  anchor  off  Fortune  Island. 
Commander  Trenchard  describes  his  visit  on 
shore  at  this  quaint  place,  and  his  reception  by 
the  pompous,  but  distressingly  impecunious, 


256  The  Old  Navy. 

officials  of  the  town  at  some  length.  He  first 
notes  that  he  received  a  salute  of  three  guns, 
underscoring  the  "  three  guns,"  as  if  calling 
attention  to  the  number.  The  facts  in  the 
case  seem  to  have  been  that  the  well-meaning 
islanders  ran  out  of  powder  after  the  third  dis 
charge.  The  Rhode  Island,  however,  promptly 
returned  the  salute  with  three  guns.  Com 
mander  Trenchard  says  :  "  The  Justice  and 
the  Collector  of  the  port  came  on  board  to  pay 
their  respects,  there  being  no  United  States  con 
sul  there.  After  this  visit  we  went  on  shore, 
and  returned  the  visit  of  the  local  officials. 
The  justice,  or  magistrate,  as  he  is  called  with 
us,  gave  us  a  very  nice  dinner,  and  the  lady  of 
the  Collector,  Mrs.  Johnson  (the  only  white 
lady  in  the  town),  honored  us  with  an  invita 
tion  for  the  evening,  but  as  I  had  fixed  upon 
5  P.M.  to  leave  the  place  we  could  not  accept. 
The  Collector  insisted  upon  our  visiting  him  in 
order  that  he  might  have  the  pleasure  of  toast 
ing  His  Excellency,  A.  Lincoln,  President  of 
the  United  States.  After  doing  ourselves  this 
honor  we  put  back  to  the  ship,  and  got  un 
der  way  soon  after  5  P.M.,  very  favorably  im 
pressed  over  our  reception  at  Fortune  Island." 
In  passing  out,  the  Rhode  Island  was  saluted 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  257 

with  four  guns,  a  supply  of  powder  very  prob 
ably  having  arrived  from  the  interior. 

On  May  i6th,  the  officers  of  the  Rhode 
Island  exchanged  visits  with  the  United 
States  consul  at  Great  Magua,  Mr.  Sargent, 
and  were  entertained  by  the  American  resi 
dents  there.  The  cruiser  proceeded  to  sea  on 
the  same  day  and  ran  into  Cape  Haytien, 
where  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  and  the  store-ship 
National  Guard  were  found.  Shortly  after 
ward  the  gunboat  Chippewa  steamed  into 
port. 

On  the  evening  of  May  i8th,  while  in  this 
port,  Mr.  Eytinge,  of  the  United  States  supply- 
vessel  Shepard  Knapp,  came  aboard  the  Rhode 
Island  and  reported  that  his  ship  had  run 
aground  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  and  was 
in  a  perilous  position.  At  half-past  ten  o'clock 
that  night,  the  Chippewa  was  ordered  to  go  to 
the  assistance  of  the  stranded  vessel,  and  at  8.30 
o'clock  on  the  following  morning  the  Santiago 
de  Cuba  also  steamed  down  to  the  scene  of 
trouble.  The  cylinder-head  of  the  Rhode 
Island  being  off  for  repairs  at  the  time,  made 
it  impossible  for  Commander  Trenchard  to 
assist,  but  he  sent  his  launch  with  a  kedge  and 
hawser.  The  Shepard  Knapp  was  found  to 


258  The  Old  Navy. 

be  so  hard  and  fast  aground  that  the  united 
efforts  of  the  Santiago  de  Cuba  and  Chippewa 
were  insufficient  to  move  her.  "  It  was  then 
decided,"  wrote  Commander  Trenchard,  "  to 
lighten  her  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  for  that 
purpose  lighters  were  despatched  in  tow  of  the 
Chippewa.  The  steamers  returned  and  an 
chored  for  the  night." 

"  Wednesday,  May  2oth,  dawned  with  favor 
able  weather.  At  10  A.M.  we  got  under  way, 
and  running  out,  anchored  near  the  stranded 
ship.  I  sent  a  boat  out  to  take  soundings, 
and  then  shifted  our  berth  nearer  to  the 
Shepard  Knapp.  The  Chippewa  followed  us 
out.  We  got  out  a  1 3-inch  hawser  to  the  Shep 
ard  Knapp,  and  sent  a  number  of  our  crew  on 
board  to  aid  in  lightening  her.  At  high  water 
we  made  an  attempt  with  a  full  head  of  steam 
to  haul  the  vessel  off,  but  without  success. 
We  remained  by  the  ship  during  the  night, 
keeping  a  constant  strain  upon  the  hawsers. 
The  Shepard  Knapp  made  a  good  deal  of 
water,  the  wind  freshening  in  the  night. 

"  THURSDAY,  May  2ist. 

"  Wind  and  weather  the  same.  The  Santiago 
de  Cuba,  the  Chippewa,  and  the  Rhode  Island 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  259 

all  engaged  in  assisting  the  stranded  vessel  to 
get  off.  A  large  number  of  the  Rhode  Island's 
men  were  still  at  work  on  board.  The  Santiago 
de  Cuba  and  the  Rhode  Island  made  another 
attempt  at  high  water  to  haul  the  vessel  off,  and 
after  having  parted  the  largest  and  best  hawsers, 
we  were  compelled,  with  great  reluctance,  to 
abandon  the  attempt.  A  board  of  officers 
composed  of  Commanders  Wyman,  Andrew 
Bryson,  and  Lieutenant  Farquhar  was  directed 
to  examine  the  vessel,  and  ascertain  if  any 
further  plan  could  be  fixed  upon  that  might 
result  in  getting  the  vessel  off,  and  in  the 
event  of  not  being  able  to  do  this  they  were  to 
suggest  what  had  better  be  done  with  the 
vessel.  Everything  of  value  had  been  re 
moved,  but  the  ship  had  been  imbedded  nearly 
two  feet  in  the  coral  reef.  The  board  decided 
that  no  further  means  at  our  command  would 
avail  in  getting  the  Shepard  Knapp  off,  and 
recommended  that  as  soon  as  everything  could 
be  removed,  that  her  hull  be  turned  over  to 
our  consul  to  be  disposed  of  upon  the  best 
terms  possible  for  the  government,  and  that 
the  three  steamers,  whose  presence  was  so 
greatly  required  elsewhere,  be  no  longer  de 
tained  at  this  place.  The  steamers  returned 


260  The  Old  Navy. 

late  in  the  afternoon  and   anchored  off  Cape 
Haytien. 

"  FRIDAY,  May  22d. 

"  The  Chippewa  proceeded  to  sea.  We 
hauled  along  the  National  Guard  and  resumed 
coaling.  One  of  our  boats  in  charge  of  the 
master  was  sent  to  examine  into  the  condition 
of  the  Shepard  Knapp,  and  report  to  me. 

"  MAY  23d. 

"  I  sent  the  second  cutter  out  to  the  Shepard 
Knapp  and  found  that  she  had  bilged  during 
the  night  and  that  her  crew  were  still  engaged  in 
stripping  her  of  everything  that  could  be  re 
moved.  We  transferred  the  chronometers  of 
the  Shepard  Knapp  to  the  Santiago  de  Cuba, 
and  the  other  stores  saved  by  us  to  the 
National  Guard.  At  i  P.M.  the  Santiago 
de  Cuba  proceeded  to  sea,  and  the  Rhode 
Island  steamed  out  at  6.30  P.M." 

In  this  run  Commander  Trenchard  found 
that  a  joke  had  been  perpetrated  upon  him  by 
a  British  skipper.  The  first  three  days  out, 
the  Rhode  Island  experienced  heavy  tropical 
rains  and  light  breezes.  At  5.15  A.M.,  May 
28th,  the  smoke  of  a  steamer  was  discovered 
to  the  south  and  east,  which  proved  to  be  the 
Chippewa,  to  which  vessel  was  transferred 


A  Romantic  Cruise.  261 

Charles  Belknap,  an  engineer's  yeoman,  for 
passage  to  the  Port  Royal  Naval  Hospital. 
At  half-past  seven  that  evening,  Commander 
Trenchard  boarded  the  English  schooner  Ade 
laide,  from  New  York  bound  to  Eleuthera.  The 
master  of  this  schooner  said  that  he  had  just 
passed  a  schooner  steering  north  northeast, 
which  was  "  heavily  armed."  Commander 
Trenchard  promptly  gave  chase  in  that  direc 
tion  in  hope  of  coming  up  with  the  supposed 
Confederate  cruiser  or  privateer.  Having 
reached  a  position,  in  which  the  schooner  was 
thought  to  be,  at  1 1  P.M.  that  night,  Commander 
Trenchard  banked  his  fires,  and  waited  for  day 
light  to  reveal  the  whereabouts  of  his  antici- 
patedprize.  Friday,  May  29,  1863,  dawned  with 
light  airs  from  the  southeast  and  a  clear  sky. 
Shortly  after  daylight  a  schooner  was  discovered 
a  short  distance  from  the  steamer,  which  was 
immediately  recognized  as  the  one  reported 
by  the  skipper  of  the  Adelaide.  The  Rhode 
Island  in  a  jiffy  was  bounding  after  the  chase, 
but  on  coming  up  with  it  the  American  officers 
were  much  chagrined  to  find  that  instead  of 
being  an  armed  Confederate  privateer,  she 
was  the  English  schooner  Helena,  from  Eleu 
thera  for  New  York,  laden  with  fruit. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IMPORTANT    CAPTURES. 

THE  Rhode  Island  continued  her  cruise 
under  easy  steam  or  sail,  boarding  a 
number  of  vessels  and  speaking  others.  Early 
on  the  morning  of  May  3Oth,  while  near  Eleu- 
thera  Island,  she  caught  sight  of  a  steamer 
which,  on  closer  inspection,  presented  a  very 
suspicious  appearance.  The  weather  at  the 
time  was  clear  and  pleasant,  with  a  light  breeze 
from  the  southeast.  Commander  Trenchard 
ordered  on  a  full  head  of  steam  and  gave  chase. 
Soon  the  little  Rhode  Island  was  pounding  the 
ocean  swells  with  her  noisy  paddle-wheels,  and 
perceptibly  gained  on  the  chase.  The  nearer 
Commander  Trenchard  got  to  the  stranger  the 
more  suspicious  she  appeared,  and  this  only 
whetted  his  desire  to  close  on  her.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  island  of  Eleuthera  was 

262 


Important  Captures.  263 

sighted,  and  it  was  feared  the  chase  might  run 
ashore.  "  By  12.30  P.M.,"  wrote  Commander 
Trenchard,  "  we  hoisted  our  colors  and  fired  a 
blank  cartridge.  As  the  chase  paid  no  atten 
tion  to  it,  we  fired  a  shell  across  her  bow,  and 
as  she  did  not  obey  this  summons  to  heave-to, 
we  began  firing  directly  into  her  with  our  long 
est-range  guns,  but  did  little  damage.  At 
about  1.45  P.M.,  our  broadside  guns  being  in 
range,  we  opened  with  them,  and  soon  nearly 
every  shot  told.  We  soon  noticed  something 
like  smoke  issuing  from  the  steamer,  which  we 
supposed  was  from  the  result  of  our  shells  set 
ting  her  on  fire.  At  12.15  P.M.  we  ceased  fir 
ing,  and  fifteen  minutes  later,  the  chase  ran  on 
shore  and  began  landing  the  persons  in  her  by 
means  of  her  boats.  At  3  P.M.  we  anchored 
on  the  edge  of  the  reef  some  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  James  Point,  island  of  Eleuthera. 
At  the  time  we  ceased  firing  the  chase  was 
about  three  and  a  half  miles  from  the  shore,  and 
we  a  mile  and  a  quarter  outside  of  her.  I  sent 
Lieutenant  Farquhar  in  a  boat  to  ascertain  the 
name  and  nationality  of  the  stranded  vessel. 
He  did  this  and  on  his  return  reported  that  he 
read  on  the  stern  of  the  vessel  Margaret  and 
Jessie  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  Lieutenant  Far- 


264  The  Old  Navy. 

quhar   had   been   directed    not   to  board    the 
steamer. 

As  CommanderTrenchard  afterward  learned, 
the  firing  on  the  Margaret  and  Jessie  was  at 
tended  with  far  more  serious  circumstances  than 
he  anticipated.  A  year  later  he  received  the 
following-  order  from  Secretary  Welles,  dated 

"  WASHINGTON,  April  2,  1864. 

"  A  naval  court  of  inquiry  has  been  ordered 
to  convene  on  Thursday  next,  the  i7th  inst, 
at  the  Navy  Yard,  Boston,  for  the  purpose  of 
inquiring  into  an  alleged  violation  of  British 
territorial  jurisdiction  by  the  United  States 
steamer,  Rhode  Island,  under  your  command, 
on  or  about  the  3Oth  May  last,  in  chasing  and 
firing  at  the  steamer  Margaret  and  Jessie  in 
British  waters." 

The  trial  was  held,  Rear-Admiral  Samuel 
Breese  presiding.  A  strong  case  was  pre 
sented  by  the  plaintiff,  and  it  began  to  look 
like  a  very  serious  matter  for  Commander 
Trenchard.  Finally,  as  a  clinching  evidence 
that  the  Rhode  Island  was  within  the  three- 
mile  limit  when  she  fired  on  the  Margaret 
and  Jessie,  the  counsel  for  the  plaintiff 
triumphantly  produced  a  cannon-ball  which, 
he  declared,  had  been  fired  by  the  Rhode 


Important  Captures.  265 

Island,  and  had  been  found  on  shore  by  the 
inhabitants.  The  defense  proved,  however, 
that  at  that  time  the  Rhode  Island  did  not 
carry  a  gun  of  the  calibre  corresponding  to 
the  cannon-ball  placed  in  evidence.  The 
court  speedily  adjourned  after  this,  exculpat 
ing  Commander  Trenchard  of  all  blame.  On 
November  5,  1864,  this  same  Margaret  and 
Jessie  was  captured  while  endeavoring  to  run 
the  blockade,  off  Wilmington,  by  the  Keystone 
State,  Commander  Trenchard's  first  command 
in  the  war. 

Leaving  the  Margaret  and  J essie  to  her 
fate,  the  Rhode  Island  again  got  under  way, 
and  resumed  her  cruise  that  evening.  The 
next  day  she  passed  Alico  Lighthouse,  and 
between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  discovered  a  bark  at  anchor  near  Great 
Stump  Key.  On  sighting  this,  she  got  under 
way,  and  hearing  that  the  Oreto  (Florida)  had 
gone  to  Stump  Key,  Commander  Trenchard 
supposed  it  might  be  her  or  her  consort,  the 
Lapwing,  and  so  gave  chase.  The  vessel 
proved  to  be  the  Restless.  Overtaking  her, 
he  brought  her  out  to  the  anchorage  and  sup 
plied  her  with  water,  of  which  she  was  in 
need. 


266  The  Old  Navy. 

On  the  following  day,  Commander  Trench- 
ard  boarded  an  American  bark  from  Portland, 
Me.,  and  transferred  Acting-M aster  King  and 
his  prize  crew  to  the  Restless  for  passage  to 
Key  West,  in  order  that  they  might  join  the 
Tioga.  At  10.30  A.M.  the  Rhode  Island  took 
the  Restless  in  tow,  and  when  off  Great  Isaac 
Light,  cast  her  off  and  resumed  her  cruise. 

Speaking  the  Sicilian  bark  Concertina,  from 
Havana  for  New  York,  June  2d,  the  Rhode 
Island  banked  her  fires  and  leisurely  cruised, 
in  the  hopes  of  falling  in  with  another  Con 
federate  vessel,  or  better  yet,  with  the  Ala 
bama.  For  several  days  beautiful  weather  was 
experienced,  and  a  number  of  vessels  were 
boarded  or  spoken.  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  : 

"  MONDAY,  June  8th. 

"  Light  breezes  from  the  southeast  and 
pleasant.  At  6  A.M.  spread  our  fires  and 
gave  chase  to  a  sail  which  proved  to  be  the 
American  ship  Seth  Sprague,  of  and  from  New 
York  for  New  Orleans,  At  midday  fell  in 
with  the  Santiago  de  Cuba,  four  days  out  from 
Cape  Haytien.  Commander  Wyman  paid  us 
a  visit,  and  received  from  her  the  crew  of  the 
Shepard  Knapp  to  complete  our  complement. 


Important  Captures.  267 

At  3  P.M.,  parted  company  with  the  Santiago 
de  Cuba  and  stood  on  our  course." 

At  midnight,  June  gth,  the  lookout  of  the 
Rhode  Island  reported  the  light  of  a  stranger. 
Commander  Trenchard  hastened  on  deck,  and 
ordered  chase  to  be  given.  About  this  time, 
the  stranger  seems  to  have  discovered  the 
Rhode  Island 's  light  and  made  efforts  to  es 
cape.  This  only  increased  Commander  Trench- 
ard's  desire  to  learn  more  about  the  vessel. 
At  i  A.M.  he  was  sufficiently  near  to  make  out 
the  lights  of  the  stranger,  when  he  became 
satisfied  that  she  was  a  mail-steamer,  upon 
which  he  gave  up  the  chase,  much  to  the  relief, 
probably,  of  the  commander  of  the  steamer, 
who  had  been  informed  that  the  Alabama  was 
cruising  in  that  vicinity. 

Most  of  the  next  thirty-six  hours  were  spent 
by  the  Rhode  Island  with  banked  fires.  At 
10  A.M.  on  June  nth,  having  sighted  a  sail, 
she  started  ahead  under  moderate  steam,  and 
overhauled  the  English  schooner  Dandy,  four 
teen  days  from  New  York  for  Harbor  Island. 
At  sunset  the  Rhode  Island  again  banked  fires, 
and  for  the  next  twenty-four  hours  drifted  aim 
lessly  about  on  the  ocean.  On  June  i4th,  she 
anchored  off  Watlings  Island,  where  Mr. 


268  The  Old  Navy. 

Naime,  the  resident  official,  came  on  board 
and  Commander  Trenchard  accompanied  him 
on  shore,  "  and  the  ladies  of  his  family  came 
on  board  afterward  and  visited  the  steamer." 
From  this  place  the  Rhode  Island  put  into 
Cape  Haytien,  where  Third  Assistant  Engi 
neer  French,  being  on  the  sick  list,  took  pas 
sage  for  Boston  in  a  schooner.  Captain 
Eytinge,  of  the  Shepard  Knapp,  also  left  the 
Rhode  Island  at  this  place,  taking  passage  for 
the  United  States  in  a  brig. 

The  Rhode  Island  was  engaged  in  coaling 
at  Cape  Haytien  until  June  26th,  when  she 
put  to  sea.  On  June  23d  the  United  States 
cruiser  Alabama,  having  Captain  Wilkes  on 
board,  had  touched  at  the  port  and  was  saluted 
with  fifteen  guns  by  the  Rhode  Island.  Out 
side  the  harbor  the  Rhode  Island  took  in  tow 
the  chartered  steamer  Hathaway,  which  had 
on  board  a  portion  of  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated 
Shepard  Knapp  together  with  her  remaining 
officers,  armament,  etc.  When  well  clear  of 
the  land  the  Rhode  Island  cast  off  her  tow  and 
the  two  vessels  parted  company.  The  Rhode 
Island  made  for  Mariguana  Island,  anchoring 
at  6  P.M.  for  the  night  off  its  western  extremity. 

At  ten  o'clock  that  night,  June  28th,  Com- 


Important  Captures.  269 

mander  Trenchard  made  the  signal  and  rockets 
of  the  steamer  Ocean  Queen,  and  after  board 
ing  her  and  receiving  the  mails,  he  kept  her 
in  company  as  escort.  At  9.50  A.M.  the  fol 
lowing  day  both  steamers  were  stopped  by 
signals  from  the  land,  and  on  sending  a  boat 
ashore  it  was  learned  through  Mr.  Sargent, 
the  American  consul  at  Magua,  that  Mr. 
Gislin,  manager  of  an  American  company  at 
Navassa,  had  been  deserted  by  his  men  and 
left  very  ill,  his  situation  being  considered  so 
critical  that  if  not  speedily  relieved  his  life 
might  be  sacrificed.  Acting  on  this  informa 
tion,  Commander  Trenchard  hastened  to  the 
scene  of  trouble.  Between  3  and  4  P.M.,  when 
in  the  Windward  Passage,  he  met  a  Sardin 
ian  frigate  standing  to  the  south.  At  5.30 
A.M.  on  the  following  day  he  parted  company 
with  Ocean  Queen  and  stood  over  for  the 
Island  of  Navassa, and  at  7.20  A.M.  sent  a  boat 
on  shore  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  Mr.  Gislin. 
On  the  return  of  the  boat  it  was  found  that  he 
had  left  some  two  days  before,  for  Great 
Magua,  in  a  schooner  sent  to  Navassa  by  Mr. 
Sargent  to  convey  two  men  who  were  to  look 
out  for  the  interests  of  the  company,  and  to 
bring  back  Mr.  Gislin  if  he  was  able  to  be 


270  The  Old  Navy. 

moved.  Learning  of  the  welfare  of  that  man, 
the  Rhode  Island  resumed  her  cruise  and  on 
July  ist  ran  into  Cape  Haytien  where  she 
found  the  Mercedita  and  the  National  Guard. 
The  Glorious  Fourth,  1863,  found  the  Rhode 
Island  at  Cape  Haytien.  Commander  Trench- 
ard  describes  the  celebration  of  the  day  as 
follows  : 

"SATURDAY,  July  4,  1863. 

"  Light  variable  breezes,  clear  and  pleasant 
weather.  At  sunrise  dressed  the  ship  with 
our  flags  at  each  masthead,  gaff,  and  staff,  and 
with  all  the  signal  flags,  making  quite  a  pretty 
display.  At  meridian  we  fired  a  national  salute 
in  honor  of  the  anniversary  of  American  Inde 
pendence,  the  Mercedita  participating  in  the 
same  way  and  the  National  Guard  as  well  as 
the  Mercedita  bedecked  their  rigging  with 
flags.  Captains  Green  and  Ransom  lunched 
with  me,  and  Captain  and  Mrs.  Spencer  took 
tea  with  me.  At  9  P.M.  we  illuminated  the 
ship  in  honor  of  the  anniversary." 

Remaining  in  Cape  Haytien  until  July  6th, 
the  Rhode  Island  got  under  way  and  resumed 
her  cruise  among  the  islands,  running  down  to 
Maraguana  so  as  to  meet  the  California  mail- 
steamer  Champion  and  escort  her  through  the 


Important  Captures.  271 

"  cruiser-infested"  seas.  "  At  5  P.M.,"  wrote 
Commander  Trenchard,  "  we  fired  a  rocket 
and  soon  afterward  got  under  way  and  ran  out 
five  miles  and  banked  fire.  At  6  A.M.,  July  loth, 
we  were  boarded  by  a  boat  from  the  United 
States  consul  for  news."  The  Rhode  Island 
escorted  the  Champion  as  far  as  Navassa, 
when  she  parted  company  and  returned  to  her 
cruising  grounds. 

Touching  at  Cape  Haytien  for  coal,  July 
1 2th,  the  Rhode  Island  passed  south  on  the 
afternoon  of  July  i7th,  and  anchored  off. the 
western  side  of  the  Island  of  Maraguana. 
Here  a  quantity  of  sweet  potatoes  was  taken 
aboard,  and  at  10  P.M.,  July  i8th,  Commander 
Trenchard  got  under  way  to  meet  the  mail- 
steamer  Northern  Light,  from  New  York  to 
Aspinwall.  Two  hours  after  midnight  the 
steamer  was  sighted,  and,  after  boarding  her, 
the  Rhode  Island  escorted  her  southward  as 
far  as  Navassa.  From  the  people  of  the  mail- 
steamer  Commander  Trenchard  for  the  first 
time  learned  of  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  and  the 
battle  of  Gettysburg.  On  the  2oth  of  July, 
Third-Assistant-Engineer  R.  N.  Flynn  of  the 
Rhode  Island  died,  and  his  body  was  com 
mitted  to  the  deep  on  the  following  day.  The 


272  The  Old  Navy. 

Rhode  Island  then  returned  to  Cape  Haytien, 
where  the  Ticonderoga,  bearing  the  flag  of 
Rear- Admiral  Lardner,  arrived  July  26th. 

In  company  with  the  Juniata  the  Rhode 
Island  left  Cape  Haytien  July  26th,  to  escort 
the  mail-steamer  Ocean  Queen.  On  July  3Oth 
the  Rhode  Island  met  with  one  of  the  peculiar 
dangers  of  the  sea.  The  day  dawned  pleasant, 
with  light  breezes  from  the  northeast.  At 
half-past  three  in  the  afternoon  a  waterspout 
was  discovered  moving  directly  upon  the  ship. 
Commander  Trenchard  immediately  sent  his 
crew  to  quarters  and  fired  a  shot  from  his  12- 
pound  howitzer  and  also  from  one  of  the  8- 
inch  guns  at  it.  The  accuracy  of  the  Rhode 
Island's  gunners  was  never  better  demonstra 
ted  than  on  this  occasion.  Both  missiles  struck 
the  spout  quarterly  and  had  the  effect  of 
breaking  it  up.  At  the  time  the  spout  was 
sighted  the  Rhode  Island  was  unable  to  get 
out  of  the  way,  of  the  danger  as  her  wheels  had 
been  lashed  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the 
cylinder  head,  which  was  in  need  of  repairs 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  excellent  marksman 
ship  of  her  gunners,  the  gallant  little  cruiser 
might  have  had  an  unpleasant  if  not  dangerous 
experience.  It  was  not  until  twelve  hours 


Important  Captures.  273 

afterward  that  the  cylinder  was  replaced  and 
the  steamer  again  got  under  way.  In  the 
next  few  days  the  Rhode  Island  boarded  a 
number  of  American  and  English  vessels,  but 
finding  their  papers  correct,  she  did  not  detain 
them.  Commander  Trenchard  notes  : 

"  SUNDAY,  August  2d. 

"  At  10  A.M.  called  all  hands  to  muster  and 
read  the  proclamation  of  his  Excellency  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  setting  apart 
Thursday,  August  6th,  as  a  national  Thanks 
giving  in  commemoration  of  our  recent  victo 
ries.  Performed  divine  service.  We  were 
lying  with  banked  fires  until  1.20  P.M.  At  8 
P.M.  banked  them  again.  At  midnight  boarded 
the  English  schooner  Belle,  sixteen  days  from 
New  York  for  Vera  Cruz." 

Early  August  4th,  Commander  Trenchard 
discovered  black  smoke  off  the  port  horizon, 
and  spreading  his  fires  stood  for  the  stranger 
under  full  steam,  but  as  the  smoke  soon  dis 
appeared  he  gave  up  the  chase.  Commander 
Trenchard  writes  : 

"  WEDNESDAY,  August  5th. 

"  Lying  under  banked  fires.  Started  ahead 
about  9  A.M.  and  overhauled  the  English  brig 


274  The  Old  Navy. 

Rosina  Claypole,  sixty-four  days  out  from  Lon 
don  for  Nassau.  After  this  we  went  to  quarters 
for  target  practice  with  the  great  guns,  firing 
two  rounds  with  the  port  battery  and  one  with 
the  starboard  after  division.  We  ceased  firing 
earlier  than  we  intended  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
medical  officer,  who  feared  that  the  noise  might 
have  a  bad  effect  on  the  sick.  He  had  previ 
ously  expressed  an  opinion  to  the  contrary. 
The  target  firing  proved  highly  creditable." 


CHAPTER   XX. 


CAPTURE    OF    THE    "  CRONSTADT." 


AT  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August 
1 3th  the  Rhode  Island  started  ahead  un 
der  easy  steam,  and  at  n  A.M.  boarded  the 
schooner  W.  H.  Tiers,  from  Philadelphia  to 
New  Orleans,  laden  with  coal.  "  Her  com 
mander,"  said  Trenchard,  "  very  politely  sent 
me  a  very  fine  ham.  Thanks  to  him,  Captain 
Hoffman,  for  it."  At  2.30  P.M.  the  English 
brig  Bayeas,  from  New  York  to  Nassau,  was 
boarded,  after  which  the  steamer  banked  fire. 
On  Sunday,  August  i6th,  the  Rhode  Island 
made  one  of  the  most  important  captures  in 
her  career.  The  day  broke  with  light  breezes 
from  the  southeast,  but  about  midday  it  be 
came  cloudy  and  squally.  Shortly  after  church 
services  had  been  held,  chase  was  given  to  a 
steamer  which  had  every  appearance  of  being 

275 


276  The  Old  Navy. 

a  blockade-runner.  As  the  gunboat  gained, 
the  chase  ran  toward  the  land,  and  it  was  no 
ticed  that  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  several  men, 
getting  into  it,  pulled  for  the  shore  some  miles 
distant.  They  were  the  chief  engineer  and  five 
of  the  crew.  Overtaking  the  vessel,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  found  her  to  be  the  Cron- 
stadt,  a  blockade-runner  from  Wilmington 
bound  for  Nassau.  On  examination  it  was 
found  that  she  had  a  cargo  of  60 1  bales  of  cot 
ton,  539  tierces  and  boxes  of  tobacco,  and  270 
barrels  of  turpentine.  The  vessel  was  regis 
tered  at  292  tons,  the  value  of  the  cargo  being 
$55,000,  which,  with  the  vessel,  made  a  total 
valuation  of  $200,000.  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  :  "  She  had  an  unusual  capacity  for  so 
small  a  vessel.  She  was  four  years  old  and 
her  two  engines  were  two  years  old.  Put  a 
prize  crew  on  board  and  took  her  in  tow  for 
the  night,  steering  to  the  north." 

At  7  A.M.  on  the  following  day,  the  Rhode 
Island  banked  fires  and  got  the  Cronstadt  ready 
for  her  voyage  to  Boston  by  putting  coal,  pro 
visions,  and  water  on  board.  "  Transferred 
Acting-Master  Williams,"  notes  Commander 
Trenchard,  "  to  the  steamer  as  prize-master, 
Master's- Mate  Watson,  and  Assistant-En- 


Capture  of  the  "Cronstadt."       277 

gineer  Lewis  to  assist  Mr.  Williams,  and  Act 
ing- Master' s-Mate  Rogers  for  passage  to  Bos 
ton  Naval  Hospital,  together  with  some  five 
or  six  in  the  crew.  Mr.  Jones,  the  first  mate, 
the  purser,  and  three  of  the  crew  of  the  Cron- 
stadt  were  sent  North  in  her  to  be  retained  as 
witnesses.  Mr.  Dobson,  the  owner  and  pas 
senger,  and  Mr.  Jefferson,  passenger,  together 
with  the  remainder  of  those  on  board  the 
Cronstadt,  were  transferred  to  this  vessel  to  be 
landed  at  the  most  convenient  place.  Parted 
company  with  the  Cronstadt  at  4.20  P.M.,  cheer 
ing  her  on  her  way,  while  we  resumed  our 
cruise."  Commander  Trenchard  concludes  his 
account  of  the  successful  capture  by  noting  : 
"  Lieutenant  Farquhar  dined  with  me  in  honor 
of  the  day."  The  Rhode  Island  ran  to  Harbor 
Island  August  i8th,  where  she  landed  her  pris 
oners. 

On  the  afternoon  of  August  25th,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  anchored  off  a  settlement 
on  the  western  side  of  Watlings  Island,  and 
Mr.  Naime,  the  official  in  charge,  came  on 
board  and  made  him  a  formal  visit.  Touch 
ing  at  various  islands  the  Rhode  Island  re 
turned  to  Cape  Haytien,  where  she  found 
Captain  Wilkes's  flagship  the  Ticonderoga,  with 


2 ;8  The  Old  Navy. 

the  Juniata,  the  Santiago  de  Cuba,  and  the 
National  Guard.  Leaving  this  place  two  days 
later,  and  passing  Porto  Rico,  the  Rhode  Island 
came  to  anchor  at  St.  Thomas  for  the  purpose 
of  repairing  her  boilers.  On  August  3ist,  Mr. 
Edgar,  the  United  States  consul,  visited  the 
ship  and  was  saluted  with  seven  guns.  On 
September  7th,  Commander  Trenchard  notes  : 
"  Called  on  Captain  Sawyer  of  the  Royal  mail- 
steamer  Tasmanian.  Dined  with  Mr.  Robert 
Swift,  of  Philadelphia,  who  is  a  merchant  in  this 
place.  The  Governor,  our  consul,  and  several 
other  gentlemen  were  among  the  guests."  On 
the  following  day  Commander  Trenchard  dined 
with  the  Governor. 

The  Rhode  Island  left  St.  Thomas  Septem 
ber  1 6th,  having  on  board,  as  passengers,  En 
signs  Augustus  G.  Kellogg,  Ira  Harris,  Jr., 
Walter  W.  Maclay,  and  A.  S.  Crowningshield, 
of  the  United  States  Navy.  The  gunboat  ar 
rived  at  Cape  Haytien  a  few  days  later,  where 
she  was  visited  by  Rear-Admiral  James  L. 
Lardner.  Several  invalid  sailors  and  men 
whose  time  had  expired  were  transferred  to  the 
Ticonderoga  for  passage  home. 

On  September  28th,  Rear-Admiral  Lardner 
changed  his  flag  to  the  Rhode  Island,  being  sa- 


Capture  of  the  "Cronstadt."       279 

luted  with  fifteen  guns.  He  got  to  sea  Octo 
ber  1 2th,  and  ran  down  to  St.  Thomas,  after 
which  he  made  for  the  islands  of  Nevis  and 
Basse  Terre.  He  anchored  under  the  lee  of  the 
island  of  Maria  Galante,  where  he  banked  fires 
for  the  night.  The  next  morning  he  ran  into 
Basse  Terre,  and  the  Admiral  and  Commander 
Trenchard  went  ashore.  Touching  at  various 
ports,  the  Rhode  Island,  about  1 1  A.M.,  Novem 
ber  ist,  when  off  the  port  of  St.  Johns,  Porto 
Rico,  picked  up  a  boat  which  was  adrift  with  a 
man  in  it,  who  proved  to  be  a  fugitive  from 
justice.  At  11.45  A.M.  Commander  Trenchard 
boarded  a  Spanish  schooner  bound  to  St. 
Johns  and  turned  over  the  boat  and  man  to 
her. 

Running  into  Cape  Haytien  November  3d, 
where  the  Spanish  steam  frigate  Blanco  saluted 
Rear-Admiral  Lardner  with  fifteen  guns,  the 
Rhode  Island  experienced  one  of  those  sad  ac 
cidents  which  sometimes  occur  in  a  man-of-war. 
Commander  Trenchard  notes  :  "  In  returning 
the  Spaniard's  salute,  just  after  the  last  gun  had 
been  fired,  one  of  the  guns  was  accidentally  dis 
charged,  blowing  a  seaman  by  the  name  of 
Lewis  A.  Horton  overboard.  He  was  picked 
up  by  a  boat  and  brought  aboard,  but  both  his 


280  The  Old  Navy. 

arms  were  found  to  be  so  much  shattered  that 
amputation  was  necessary."  Horton  had  a  sin 
gularly  romantic  experience  in  the  Civil  War. 
At  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  he  enlisted  in  the 
navy  as  a  volunteer  and  was  shipwrecked  on 
the  Bahamas.  He  entered  another  ship  and 
was  placed  in  charge  of  a  prize  with  orders  to 
make  for  the  nearest  port.  In  carrying  out 
these  instructions  he  was  taken  prisoner  and 
confined  in  Libby  Prison.  When  exchanged 
he  enlisted  in  the  Rhode  Island Just  as  she  was 
about  to  tow  the  Monitor  to  Charleston.  When 
the  ironclad  went  down  he  was  one  of  the  boat's 
crew  that  became  separated  from  the  gunboat 
and  for  several  days  were  tossed  about  on  the 
ocean.  At  the  time  of  the  accident  by  which 
he  lost  his  arms  Horton  was  engaged  to  be  mar 
ried  to  a  young  woman  in  Maine.  On  the  close 
of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home,  but  the 
young  woman  refused  to  marry  him,  remarking 
that  she  did  not  care  to  support  a  cripple.  Her 
sister  overheard  the  remark  and,  stepping  for 
ward,  her  eyes  flashing  with  indignation,  offered 
to  marry  the  man.  They  were  married,  and 
the  story  of  their  remarkable  courtship  was  told 
for  many  years  afterward.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  Horton  did  not  receive  a  pension  until 


Capture  of  the  "Cronstadt."       281 

1888,  the  objection  raised  by  the  government 
officials  being  that  his  arms  were  not  blown  off 
in  action.  The  objection  seems  trivial  when 
so  many  less-deserving  survivors  of  the  Civil 
War  have  received  pensions. 

On  November  24th,  Rear-Admiral  Lardner 
transferred  his  flag  to  the  Powhatan,  again  re 
ducing  the  Rhode  Island  to  the  station  of  an 
ordinary  cruiser.  She  left  Cape  Haytien  No 
vember  27th,  to  meet  the  mail-steamer  Cham 
pion  at  the  usual  place  off  Maraguana,  but  a 
defect  in  the  main  steam-pipes  of  the  gunboat 
compelled  her  to  return  to  Cape  Haytien, 

From  this  time  until  March  17,  1864,  the 
Rhode  Island  was  engaged  chiefly  in  escorting 
the  mail-steamers  through  the  channels  of  the 
West  Indies,  where  they  were  most  exposed  to 
the  attacks  of  Confederate  cruisers.  In  the  mid 
dle  of  March  she  received  orders  to  return 
home,  leaving  Cape  Haytien  March  igth. 
Three  days  out  the  gunboat  experienced  a 
terrific  storm,  which  she  rode  out  in  safety,  and 
making  the  American  coast,  she  arrived  in  Bos 
ton  on  March  28th.  In  her  cruise  in  the  West 
Indies  she  had  boarded  more  than  fifty  vessels. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

CONVOY    SERVICE. 

THE  fate  of  the  Monitor,  which  foundered 
on  the  night  of  December  31,  1862, 
near  Cape  Hatteras,  had  made  the  Government 
adopt  unusual  precautions  when  sending  other 
ironclads  from  one  part  of  the  coast  to  another, 
so  that  when  the  Rhode  Island  was  ordered  to 
tow  the  new  monitor  Monadnock  from  Boston 
to  the  seat  of  war,  the  steamers  Massasoit  and 
Little  Addie  were  ordered  to  accompany  her. 
The  necessity  for  this  precaution  was  forcibly 
shown  on  the  second  day  out,  when  an  acci 
dent  occurred  which  might  have  resulted  in  a 
serious  disaster.  At  half-past  four  o'clock,  on 
the  afternoon  of  October  7,  1864,  the  Rhode 
Island  got  under  way  from  the  Boston  Navy 
Yard  and  stood  down  the  bay,  accompanied  by 
the  Massasoit  and  the  Little  Addie.  Off 

282 


Convoy  Service.  283 

Boston  Light  they  found  the  Monadnock  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Berrian,  who  had 
preceded  the  Rhode  Island  down  the  bay. 
The  Monadnock  was  the  monitor,  which,  soon 
after  the  close  of  the  war,  rounded  Cape  Horn 
and  demonstrated  that  the  wooden  navies  of 
the  world  were  doomed. 

Taking  the  ironclad  in  tow,  Commander 
Trenchard  immediately  put  to  sea  with  his 
convoy  in  company.  The  towing  of  a  heavy 
vessel  by  another  on  the  open  sea  is  always 
attended  with  considerable  danger.  This  dan 
ger  is  increased  when  the  tow  is  a  lumbering 
ironclad  of  the  original  monitor  type.  The 
unequal  rising  and  falling  of  the  waves  be 
tween  two  ships  connected  by  a  tow-line 
brings  a  severe  strain  on  the  cable  at  one  mo 
ment  and  at  the  next  it  may  be  entirely  slack. 
Then  the  action  of  a  heavy  ocean  wave  may 
bring  such  a  strain  on  the  line  as  to  break  it, 
the  ends  flying  back  sometimes  and  striking 
the  decks  with  terrific  force.  Should  an  acci 
dent  compel  the  escorting  vessel  to  run  along 
side  of  the  monitor  she  would  be  in  great  danger 
of  having  her  hull  crushed  in  by  being  thrown 
against  the  iron  sides  of  the  ship. 

It  was  the  consciousness  of  this  danger  that 


284  The  Old  Navy. 

caused  the  commanders  of  the  vessels  of  this 
squadron  to  watch  the  weather  with  unusual 
anxiety.  Even  before  leaving  port  the  barom 
eter  had  been  carefully  noted,  and  had  it  given 
indications  of  an  approaching  storm,  the  de 
parture  of  the  vessels  would  have  been  post 
poned.  But  as  everything  gave  promise  of 
fair  weather,  the  little  squadron  ventured  out 
on  the  waters  of  the  treacherous  Atlantic. 
During  the  first  night  out,  there  was  a  light 
wind,  and  the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth, 
but  as  the  men  well  knew  that  these  favorable 
conditions  might,  in  less  than  an  hour,  be 
changed  into  a  howling  tempest,  every  effort 
was  made  to  hasten  the  voyage.  By  keeping 
up  a  full  head  of  steam  in  both  the  Rhode 
Island  and  the  Monadnock  they  averaged  eight 
knots  an  hour. 

Saturday,  October  8th,  dawned  with  threat 
ening  weather.  The  light  breeze  from  the 
northwest  at  daybreak  grew  stronger,  gradually 
whipping  the  smooth  sea  into  white-capped 
waves,  while  the  dark  masses  of  fleeting  clouds 
high  up  in  the  heaven  gave  indication  of  an  ap 
proaching  gale.  Fearing  that  they  might  be 
overtaken  by  a  storm,  Commander  Trenchard 
determined  to  run  into  the  nearest  shelter,  which 


Convoy  Service.  285 

was  Holmes's  Hole,  and  wait  there  until  the  sea 
had  subsided.      Realizing  the  danger  of  their 
position,  the  commanders  did  not  slacken  their 
speed,  although  the  increasing  sea  made  the 
strain    on    the   tow-line    dangerous.     Shortly 
before  noon  an  accident  occurred  which  showed 
under  what  a  severe  strain  the  Rhode  Island 
had   been  placed.     While   preparations  were 
under  way  for  the  mid-day  meal,  the   Rhode 
Islanders  were  startled  by  a   loud  crackling 
noise.     The  tow-line  suddenly  slackened,  and 
being  deprived  of  its   guidance  the  monitor 
quickly  fell  into  the  trough  of  the  sea.     At 
that  time  the  special  preparations  for  fitting 
the  Monadnock  as  an  ocean  cruiser  had  not 
been  made,  and  her  officers  immediatly  exerted 
themselves  to  bring  the  ironclad's  head  to  sea. 
On  investigation,  it  was  found  that  the  iron 
bits  in  the  Rhode  Island,  around  which  the  tow- 
line  had  been  wound,  had  given  way  under  the 
strain,  which  was  so  great  as  to  smash  them 
into  several  pieces,  one  striking  the  binnacle 
and  completely  demolishing  it.     Noticing  that 
something  was  wrong,  the  commanders  of  the 
Massasoit  and  the  Little  Addie  ran  down  to 
proffer  assistance.     Every  effort  was  made  to 
get  the  tow-line  in  order,  and  in  a  few  minutes 


286  The  Old  Navy. 

the  vessels  were  again  under  way.  By  this 
time,  the  wind  had  increased  to  a  heavy  gale, 
and  although  it  was  imperative  to  gain  shelter 
as  soon  as  possible,  it  was  deemed  prudent  to 
relax  the  strain  on  the  tow-line  by  reducing  the 
speed  of  the  vessels.  All  four  vessels  were 
now  pitching  and  rolling  about  in  the  heavy 
sea  in  an  alarming  fashion,  while  wave  after 
wave  broke  completely  over  the  exposed  decks 
of  the  monitor  and  at  times  the  spray  dashed 
high  over  her  turret,  almost  concealing  the 
little  craft  from  view.  In  this  manner  and 
with  the  expectation  that  every  moment  some 
vessel  might  be  disabled,  the  squadron  slowly 
made  its  way  toward  Holmes's  Hole,  arriving 
there  about  sunset. 

Most  of  the  night  it  blew  a  terrific  gale,  and 
as  the  officers  and  men  of  the  little  squadron 
heard  the  wind  shrieking  through  the  rigging, 
and  causing  even  the  protected  waters  of 
Holmes's  Hole  to  roll  and  break  against  the 
sides  of  their  vessel,  they  had  cause  to  con 
gratulate  themselves  that  they  were  not  on  the 
dark  sea  with  the  cumbersome  monitor  tug 
ging  and  dragging  at  them.  About  midnight 
the  worst  of  the  gale  had  blown  over,  and  tow 
ard  morning  it  had  subsided  into  a  gentle 


Convoy  Service.  287 

breeze.  It  was  some  hours  later,  however, 
before  the  waves  had  moderated  sufficiently  to 
enable  the  vessels  to  continue  the  voyage,  and 
even  then,  Commander  Trenchard  would  not 
have  ventured  out,  had  he  not  realized  how 
necessary  it  was  to  get  the  ironclad  to  her 
destination  as  soon  as  possible. 

All  that  night  and  the  following  morning, 
October  loth,  the  wind  was  fresh  from  the 
southwest,  and  although  at  one  time  it  looked 
as  if  it  might  again  come  on  to  a  gale,  the 
steamers  held  their  course  hoping  to  reach 
New  York  without  further  delay.  The  sea 
continued  rough,  and  between  two  and  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Commander  Trench 
ard  noticed  that  the  Little  Addie  acted  as  if 
she  were  in  trouble.  During  the  gale  of  the 
8th,  she  had  behaved  badly,  and  at  one  time 
fears  for  her  safety  were  entertained.  After 
leaving  Holmes's  Hole,  although  the  sea  had 
moderated  considerably,  she  was  observed  to 
be  making  bad  weather  of  it,  and  had  it  not 
been  too  hazardous  Commander  Trenchard 
would  have  sent  a  boat  aboard  of  her.  A  little 
before  three  o'clock  the  quarter-master  called 
Commander  Trenchard's  attention  to  a  signal 
of  distress  the  Little  Addie  was  making.  The 


288  The  Old  Navy. 

Massasoit  was  directed  to  run  down  to  her ; 
she  learned  that  some  accident  had  befallen 
the  machinery.  As  it  was  soon  repaired  the 
vessels  resumed  their  course  into  Long  Island 
Sound,  and  about  sunset  anchored  off  White- 
stone,  where  they  remained  for  the  night. 
On  the  following  morning,  October  nth,  they 
passed  through  Hell  Gate,  and  about  noon 
arrived  safely  at  the  Navy  Yard. 

Late  on  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  October 
14,  1864,  while  the  Rhode  Island  was  in  the 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  preparing  to  renew  her 
course  south,  the  commandant  of  the  Yard 
received  a  telegram  from  Washington  with 
instructions  to  send  the  Rhode  Island  down  to 
Aspinwall  immediately,  and  to  escort  the  mail- 
steamer  Costa  Rica  from  that  port  to  New 
York.  It  was  learned  afterward  that  the  Gov 
ernment  had  received  secret  information  of  a 
Confederate  attempt  to  capture  this  steamer, 
and  as  she  had  important  despatches  and  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  on  board,  besides  a 
valuable  cargo,  she  would  have  been  a  valuable 
prize  for  the  Confederates.  The  mail-steamer 
Ariel,  belonging  to  the  same  line  and  running 
between  the  same  ports,  had  been  captured 
only  a  short  time  before  by  the  famous  Ala- 


Convoy  Service.  289 

bama,  and  was  released  only  after  everything 
of  value  had  been  taken  out  of  her  and  bonds 
had  been  given  for  a  heavy  ransom.  It  was 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  Government 
to  maintain  this  line  of  steamers,  and  when 
news  came  of  a  plot  being  on  foot  to  capture 
the  Costa  Rica,  the  first  available  gunboat  was 
despatched  to  convoy  her. 

A  few  minutes  after  receiving  his  instruc 
tions,  Commander  Trenchard  was  ready,  and 
at  half-past  ten  o'clock  that  night  the  Rhode 
Island  drew  out  of  the  Navy  Yard  and,  steam 
ing  through  the  Narrows,  put  to  sea,  leaving 
the  pilot  aboard  the  light-ship.  On  the  third 
day  out  the  brig  Monticello,  five  days  from 
Havana,  for  Camden,  Me.,  was  spoken.  Mod 
erate  breezes  and  an  easy  sea  were  experi 
enced  nearly  all  through  the  passage,  and  the 
little  gunboat  sped  southward,  making  the 
island  of  Maraguana  at  daybreak  October  2Oth, 
and  Cape  Maji  in  the  afternoon.  Nearly  all 
the  2  ist  of  October  the  island  of  San  Domingo 
was  in  sight,  and  at  six  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  October  24th,  land  twelve  miles  off  Porto 
Bello  was  made,  the  town  of  Aspinwall  ap 
pearing  two  hours  later.  The  Costa  Rica  was 
found  at  her  moorings  ready  for  sea.  While 


290  The  Old  Navy. 

waiting  for  the  Rhode  Island  to  coal,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  exchanged  visits  with  Com 
modore  Charles  H.  Bell,  Colonel  Totten, 
Captain  Daveport,  Paymaster  I.  W.  Eldridge, 
Acting-Master  C.  A.  Crocker,  of  the  St. 
Marys,  and  with  the  commander  of  the 
French  war-steamer  Saone. 

At  half-past  eleven  o'clock,  October  26th,  the 
Rhode  Island  having  completed  her  coaling, 
and  having  Commodore  Bell  and  Fleet-Pay 
master  I.  W.  Eldridge  on  board  as  passengers, 
left  Aspinwall,  with  the  Costa  Rica  in  com 
pany,  and  began  her  trip  northward,  keeping 
a  careful  lookout  for  Confederate  cruisers. 
About  noon  on  the  first  day  out,  Commander 
Trenchard  lost  sight  of  his  charge,  and  for 
some  time  afterward  anxiety  was  felt  for  her 
safety.  As  the  Costa  Rica  did  not  appear  all 
that  afternoon  and  night,  it  was  feared  that 
she  would  be  separated  from  her  escort  for 
the  rest  of  the  passage.  All  efforts  to  find  the 
steamer  were  unavailing  until  about  noon, 
October  29th,  when,  off  San  Domingo,  the 
missing  mail-steamer  again  hove  in  sight,  and 
the  two  vessels  continued  their  voyage  north 
ward  in  company. 

A  few  minutes  after  eleven  o'clock  on  the  fol- 


Convoy  Service.  291 

lowing  morning,  the  smoke  of  a  steamer 
standing  to  the  south  was  reported  from  the 
lookout,  and  as  a  hostile  warship  was  expected 
at  any  moment,  due  precautions  were  taken 
aboard  the  Rhode  Island.  But  on  closer  in 
spection  the  stranger  proved  to  be  the  mail- 
steamer  Ocean  Queen,  for  Aspinwall.  Between 
two  and  three  o'clock  that  afternoon  the  smoke 
of  another  steamer  was  descried,  and  it  was  not 
long  before  she  showed  herself  to  be  a  war 
ship.  There  was  now  a  better  prospect  than 
ever  of  a  "  brush  "  with  the  enemy,  and  the 
plucky  little  Rhode  Island  bristled  all  over 
with  fight.  But,  on  exchanging  signals,  the 
stranger  was  found  to  be  the  United  States 
steamer  Grand  Gulf,  bound  south.  Passing 
a  French  bark  at  daylight,  November  ist,  the 
Rhode  Island  and  the  Costa  Rica  continued  on 
their  northern  course  without  further  incident 
of  note,  arriving  in  New  York  November  4th, 
the  Rhode  Island  going  to  the  Brooklyn  Navy 
Yard. 

The  officers  of  the  Rhode  Island  at  this  time 
were  Commander  Trenchard,  Lieutenant  Fred 
erick  E.  Smith,  Acting- Masters  Charles  O'Neil 
and  Zera  L.  Tanner;  Acting-Ensigns  Robert 
Lampfare  and  Nicholas  Pratt ;  Assistant  Sur- 


292  The  Old  Navy. 

geon  Edward  P.  Bingham,  Assistant  Paymas 
ter  William  Lee  Darling,  Acting-Chief  En 
gineer  John  F.  McCutchen,  Engineers  Frank 
Henderson,  James  F.  Powers,  Charles  W. 
Radell,  Charles  C.  Black,  William  H.  McCoy, 
John  A.  Hughes,  W.  I.  Pattison,  and  Charles 
M.  Rugg. 

The  Rhode  Island  remained  in  New  York 
several  weeks  on  her  return  from  this  cruise, 
a  part  of  which  time  she  was  at  anchor  in  the 
East  River  opposite  Wall  Street,  having  her 
batteries  trained  so  as  to  protect  Government 
property  from  mob  violence.  Commander 
Trenchard  had  received  from  Rear-Admiral 
Paulding  the  following  telegram:  "You  will 
proceed  with  the  Rhode  Island  under  your 
command,  and  anchor  off  the  foot  of  Wall 
Street,  prepared  to  protect,  in  case  of  neces 
sity,  the  U.  S.  Custom-House,  Sub-Treasury, 
and  other  public  property ;  also  to  render  as 
sistance,  if  called  upon  by  the  city  authorities." 
Fortunately,  the  assistance  of  the  Rhode  Isl 
anders  was  not  necessary. 

On  November  i4th,  the  gunboat  prepared 
to  escort  the  Costa  Rica  on  her  return  voyage 
to  Aspinwall,  but  at  the  last  moment  Com 
mander  Trenchard  was  relieved  of  this  duty 


Convoy  Service.  293 

by  the  Galatea.  It  was  not  until  the  afternoon 
of  November  21,  1864,  that  the  Rhode  Island 
dropped  down  to  quarantine  grounds  off  Staten 
Island,  preparatory  to  getting  to  sea.  Toward 
evening  the  weather  became  so  threatening 
that  it  was  decided  to  postpone  her  departure 
until  the  following  morning.  Early  Tuesday, 
November  22d,  she  passed  Sandy  Hook,  and 
discharging  her  pilot  stood  down  the  Jersey 
coast.  All  day  long  the  mountains  of  New 
Jersey  were  visible  from  the  decks  of  the  little 
steamer,  and  as  night  came  on  the  lights  of 
Cape  May  were  made  out. 

Arriving  at  Hampton  Roads  at  two  o'clock 
on  the  following  afternoon,  Commander  Trench- 
ard  found  the  imposing  National  fleet  which 
was  assembling  for  an  attack  upon  Fort  Fisher, 
and  of  which  the  little  Rhode  Island  was  to 
form  a  part.  After  saluting  Rear-Admiral 
David  Dixon  Porter,  who  commanded  the 
naval  portion  of  the  great  expedition,  with 
thirteen  guns,  which  was  duly  returned  by 
Porter's  flagship  the  Malvern,  Commander 
Trenchard  got  into  his  gig  and  paid  an  official 
visit  to  Rear-Admiral  Porter.  In  his  journal 
Trenchard  says  :  "  Paid  my  official  visit  to  the 
Admiral  and  besides  meeting  him  I  had  the 


294  The  Old  Navy. 

pleasure  of  meeting  my  very  particular  friend, 
Dr.  Fox,  fleet  surgeon,  also  Paymaster  Hies- 
kell.  We  found  at  Hampton  Roads  the  largest 
fleet  ever  concentrated  there,  among  which 
were  the  largest  ships  of  our  Navy,  the  Minne 
sota,  the  Wabask,  the  Powhatan,  the  Brooklyn, 
the  Ticonderoga,  the  Juniata,  the  Tuscarora, 
and  many  others."  When  Rear-Admiral  Porter 
was  assigned  to  this  important  command,  he 
gave  it  to  be  understood  by  the  commanders 
of  the  national  vessels,  that  the  economical  use 
of  powder  was  not  to  be  considered  in  exercis 
ing  the  men  at  the  great  guns,  and  the  result 
was  that  from  the  time  he  arrived  until  the 
great  fleet  sailed,  there  was  a  constant  booming 
of  the  thousand  or  more  cannon  in  the  fleet, 
which,  together  with  the  imposing  array  of  war 
ships,  monitors,  and  transports,  made  a  most 
spirited  scene. 

As  Commander  Trenchard  had  been  ordered 
to  report  at  Beaufort,  he  sailed  from  Hampton 
Roads  about  dusk  November  23d,  and  passing 
Cape  Lookout  Light  at  midnight,  November 
24th,  he  anchored  off  Beaufort  bar.  The  fol 
lowing  day  having  been  designated  by  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  for  a  national  thanksgiving,  the 
crew  of  the  Rhode  Island  was  assembled  aft, 


Convoy  Service.  295 

and  divine  service  was  held,   after  which  the 
President's  proclamation  was  read. 

The  Rhode  Island  got  to  sea  again  the  next 
day,  and  on  Saturday  morning,  November  26th, 
she  had  an  exciting  chase  after  a  supposed 
blockade-runner.  A  strange  vessel  was  re 
ported  to  the  officer  of  the  deck  early  in  the 
morning,  the  weather  at  the  time  being  pleasant 
with  moderate  breezes  from  the  south  and 
east.  From  the  peculiar  color  of  the  smoke 
the  stranger  emitted,  the  belief  that  she  was 
an  enemy  was  strengthened,  and  every  effort 
was  made  to  increase  the  Rhode  Island 's  speed. 
As  the  national  gunboat  rapidly  gained  on  the 
chase,  she  was  found  to  be  not  a  Confederate 
but  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  vessels,  and  after  an 
exchange  of  signals  she  reported  "  U.  S. 
steamer  Banshee "  ;  her  commander,  Captain 
Garfield,  shortly  afterward  boarding  the  Rhode 
Island,  and  presented  his  compliments  to  Com 
mander  Trenchard.  There  was  a  mutual  ex 
pression  of  regret  that  they  had  not  found  each 
other  out  to  be  enemies.  An  hour  after  this 
chase  the  Rhode  Island  exchanged  signals  with 
the  U.  S.  steamers  R.  R.  Cnyler  and  Fort 
Morgan,  the  latter  having  the  Confederate  Ad 
miral,  Franklin  Buchanan,  on  board  as  a  pris- 


296  The  Old  Navy. 

oner.  Buchanan  had  been  captured  in  the  battle 
of  Mobile  Bay,  and,  after  recovering  from  his 
dangerous  wounds  at  the  United  States  hospital 
•in  Pensacola,  was  on  his  way  north. 

For  the  few  succeeding  days  the  Rhode  Isl 
and  cruised  in  this  vicinity,  speaking  the  U.  S. 
gunboat  Mount  Vernon,  the  R.  R.  Cuyler,  and 
the  brig  Anna  Elizabeth,  and  on  the  night  of 
November  28th,  passing  a  brilliantly  lighted 
steamer  which  was  found  to  be  a  mailship. 
The  lights  of  another  mail-steamer  northbound 
were  seen  on  the  night  of  November  3oth. 
About  noon  December  ist,  the  Rhode  Island 
fell  in  with  the  United  States  steamer  Mack 
inaw,  her  commander,  Captain  Beaumont, 
paying  Commander  Trenchard  a  visit. 

While  the  two  officers  were  engaged  in  what 
has  always  been  a  pleasant  occurrence — a 
friendly  visit  on  mid-ocean — a  suspicious  sail, 
or  rather  smoke,  was  reported  from  the  mast 
head.  Both  the  Rhode  Island  and  the  Mount 
Vernon  promptly  gave  chase,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  gunboats  were  cutting  through  the 
waves  and  making  a  terrible  fuss  in  the  water 
in  their  efforts  to  come  up  with  the  stranger. 
By  3.30  P.M.  the  chase  could  be  seen  from 
the  decks  of  the  national  gunboats,  but  from 


Convoy  Service.  297 

this  time  until  sunset  she  seemed  to  gain  and 
it  was  apparent  that  she  was  making  extra 
ordinary  efforts  to  escape.  At  sunset  the 
wind  freshened  and  became  squally,  which 
caused  a  rough  cross-sea  to  rise.  This  proved 
advantageous  to  the  Rhode  Island  and  she  per 
ceptibly  gained.  But  soon  after  night  fell 
over  the  sea,  Commander  Trenchard  lost  sight 
of  the  chase.  After  several  vain  endeavors  to 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  chase,  one  of  the  lookouts 
reported  a  light  just  off  the  bow  which  was 
thought  to  be  that  of  the  stranger.  Steering  in 
that  direction  and  then  maintaining  her  high 
est  rate  of  speed  for  an  hour  longer,  the  Rhode 
Island  came  upon  a  vessel  which  seemed  to  be 
in  a  crippled  condition.  Commander  Trench 
ard  immediately  sent  a  boat  aboard  of  her. 
She  proved  to  be  the  vessel  chased  during  the 
afternoon,  her  machinery  having  been  disabled 
in  her  efforts  to  escape.  She  was  found  to  be 
the  English  steamer  Vixen  a  blockade-runner 
from  Bermuda.  A  marine  guard  was  placed 
aboard  of  her,  and  her  commander,  Mr.  Walton, 
was  brought  aboard  the  Rhode  Island,  while 
Commander  Trenchard  lay  alongside  waiting 
for  the  return  of  daylight. 

At  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Decem- 


298 


The  Old  Navy. 


her  2<i,  Commander  Trenchard  took  the  Vixen 
in  tow,  after  placing  Acting-Master  Zera  L. 
Tanner,  Acting-Masters'  Mates  R.  W.  Wal 
lace,  G.  H.  Appleton,  and  Ensigns  Smyth  and 
Hughes,  in  charge  of  her  with  a  prize  crew. 
Mr.  Walton  was  returned  aboard  the  Vixen 
to  be  held  as  a  witness  in  the  trial,  while  the 
crew  of  the  prize  was  sent  aboard  the  Rhode 
Island.  Falling  in  with  her  old  consort,  the 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  the  Rhode  Island  at  1.45 
P.M.  December  23d  reached  Beaufort  with 
her  prize.  The  capture  was  reported  to  the 
commanding  naval  officer  who  ordered  the 
Rhode  Island  to  proceed  immediately  to 
Hampton  Roads  with  the  Vixen  and  report 
to  Rear-Admiral  Thatcher,  after  which  the 
gunboat  was  to  join  the  expedition  about  to 
sail  against  Fort  Fisher. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

AT   FORT    FISHER. 

AFTER  spending  several  days  at  the  Nor 
folk  Navy  Yard  in  coaling,  the  Rhode 
Island  returned  to  Hampton  Roads,  December 
loth,  where  she  took  on  board,  by  order  of 
Rear-Admiral  Porter,  Major  Thomas  Lincoln 
Casey,  of  the  Engineers  Corps,  and  Mr.  Wil 
liam  Anderson,  a  reporter  of  the  Philadelphia 
Inquirer.  Mr.  Anderson  was  taken  aboard 
by  especial  order  from  Rear-Admiral  Porter, 
who  said  :  "  I  beg  leave  to  introduce  to  your 
acquaintance  Mr.  William  Anderson,  of  the 
Philadelphia  Inquirer.  Will  you  furnish  Mr. 
Anderson  with  quarters  on  board  your  vessel 
until  you  get  below  so  that  he  will  be  com 
fortable  ?  When  we  arrive  at  our  destination, 
other  quarters  will  be  provided."  It  will  be 
observed  in  this  note  that  the  destination  of 


299 


300  The  Old  Navy. 

the  expedition  was  not  mentioned,  it  being 
referred  to  in  such  words  as  "  below"  and  "  our 
destination."  Mr.  Anderson  evidently  had 
been  specially  assigned  to  "  cover"  the  attack 
on  Fort  Fisher. 

At  sunset  the  commanders  of  all  the  na 
tional  vessels  in  the  Roads  were  assembled  on 
the  flagship  Malvern  for  the  purpose  of  receiv 
ing  their  final  instructions.  Early  the  next 
morning  the  Rhode  Island  put  to  sea  with 
the  ironclad  Canonicus  in  tow,  followed  by  the 
Fort  Jackson  towing  the  Monadnock,  and  the 
Santiago  de  Cuba  towing  the  Mahopac.  On 
Wednesday,  December  i4th,  the  weather  was 
cloudy  and  squally  and  the  speed  of  the  gun 
boats  was  reduced  in  keeping  with  the  safety 
of  the  monitors.  When  the  cumbersome  iron 
clads  passed  the  spot  where  the  original  mon 
itor  foundered,  the  Monadnock  cast  off  her 
towline  and  demonstrated  her  seaworthiness 
by  steaming  independently  of  her  consort.  The 
Fort  Jackson,  however,  kept  close  by  the  iron 
clad,  ready  to  give  immediate  assistance  if 
required.  The  six  vessels  kept  in  sight  of 
each  other  all  day.  When  off  Cape  Hatteras 
Rear-Admiral  Porter  in  the  Malvern  passed 
them  steaming  southward  and  shortly  after- 


At  Fort  Fisher.  301 

ward  the  powder  boat  Louisiana  also  passed 
them.  Shortly  after  midnight  the  monitors 
made  Point  Lookout  Light  and  at  7.55  A.M. 
came  to  anchor  off  Beaufort  bar,  the  Malvern 
and  the  Louisiana  having  arrived  a  few  hours 
before.  During  the  next  few  days  the  crew  of 
the  Rhode  Island  followed  the  example  of  the 
other  vessels  and  began  firing  at  targets  with 
the  great  guns.  The  target  was  placed  about 
a  mile  off,  the  distance  the  vessels  expected  to 
take  when  attacking  Fort  Fisher. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  Sunday,  December 
1 8th,  it  was  seen  that  some  serious  movement 
was  under  way  in  the  great  fleet  that  had  as 
sembled  at  Beaufort,  and  before  noon  Rear- 
Admiral  Porter  came  out  in  the  Malvern  and 
put  to  sea,  in  company  with  a  large  number  of 
vessels.  The  Rhode  Island  followed  the  long, 
trailing  procession  to  sea,  having  the  Canoni- 
cus  in  tow.  By  sunset  the  armada  came-to  off 
Wilmington,  many  of  the  vessels  standing  on 
and  off  during  the  night  and  coming  to  anchor 
in  the  morning.  December  igth  was  spent  in 
manoeuvring  and  in  getting  ready  for  the  at 
tack  and  at  sunset  the  fleet  came  to  anchor. 
Much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  keeping  the 
vessels  in  their  proper  positions,  the  swift  tide 


302  The  Old  Navy. 

causing  a  number  of  steamers  to  drag  their 
anchors.  This,  in  such  a  great  assemblage  of 
vessels,  resulted  in  much  danger  from  colli 
sions.  The  Rhode  Island  was  compelled  to 
get  under  steam  twice,  and  finally  dropped 
two  anchors  before  she  could  be  held  fast. 

Under  date  of  Saturday,  December  24th, 
Commander  Trenchard  notes:  "At  0.50  A.M. 
discovered  a  fire  bearing  west  by  one  one-quar 
ter  north,  which  was  followed  by  an  explosion 
at  2.05  A.M.  It  was  the  powder  boat  Louisiana 
which  had  been  exploded  under  the  batteries 
of  Fort  Fisher.  The  report  appeared  like 
two  different  discharges  of  a  heavy  gun 
and  the  shock  like  that  of  a  distant  earth 
quake." 

Major  Casey,  who  was  in  the  Rhode  Island, 
gives  the  following  interesting  account  of  this 
affair :  "  The  fleet  was  concentrated  for  an 
attack  upon  the  rebel  defences  of  the  New  In 
let  to  Cape  Fear  River,  covering  one  of  the 
approaches  to  the  city  of  Wilmington,  N.  C. 
The  point  of  attack  selected  was  Fort  Fisher, 
and  one  of  the  means  of  attack  decided  upon 
as  first  to  be  projected  against  this  work  was 
the  explosion  of  a  large  mass  of  gunpowder 
placed  as  near  to  its  parapets  as  it  could  be 


At  Fort  Fisher.  303 

carried  in  a  vessel,  in  the  hopes  that  the  effects 
produced  would  be  the  great  injury,  if  not 
destruction,  of  the  fortification,  its  armament, 
and  garrison.  The  least  effect  expected  was 
that  the  garrison  should  be  so  paralyzed  and 
stunned  as  to  offer  small  resistance  to  subse 
quent  assaults.  The  vessel  selected  to  carry 
the  powder  was  the  U.  S.  (purchased)  pro 
peller  Louisiana,  of  295  tons  measurement, 
having  an  iron  hull.  It  was  decided  to  dis 
guise  her  to  resemble  as  much  as  possible  a 
blockade-runner,  and  to  endeavor  to  place  her 
in  the  desired  position  without  being  discov 
ered  by  the  enemy.  To  these  ends  the  masts 
and  armament  of  the  vessel  were  removed,  and 
the  deck-house  extended  forward  to  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  stem  to  furnish  additional  room 
for  storage  of  the  powder.  A  sham  smoke 
stack  in  addition  to  the  real  one  was  set  up, 
and  the  whole  vessel  painted  a  neutral  tint, 
nearly  approaching  to  white.  In  stowing  the 
powder  it  was  determined  to  place  it  as  much 
as  possible  above  the  water-line,  and  a  light 
deck  a  few  inches  below  the  water-line  was 
constructed  in  the  lower  hold.  .  .  .  The 
vessel  was  taken  to  its  position  on  the  night 
of  December  23d  under  the  command  of  Com- 


304  The  Old  Navy. 

mander  A.  C.  Rhind,  U.  S.  Navy,  and  was 
placed  by  him,  as  he  informed  me,  within  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  northeast  salient  of  the 
fort,  and  that,  too,  without  being  discovered 
by  the  enemy.  A  blockade-runner  going  in 
just  ahead  of  the  vessel  acted  as  a  guide  in  its 
navigation,  and  at  the  same  time  threw  the 
garrison  off  its  guard.  After  starting  the  vari 
ous  appliances  for  firing  the  fuses,  the  time  of 
their  running  having  been  fixed  at  an  hour  and 
a  half,  and  also  setting  fire  to  the  combustibles 
collected  in  the  after-hold,  the  crew  escaped  in 
a  swift  steamer  held  in  waiting  for  them.  The 
explosion  took  place  in  one  hour  and  fifty-two 
minutes  from  the  time  of  first  setting  the  fire, 
and  at  about  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
December  24th. 

"  As  viewed  from  the  decks  of  the  U.  S. 
steamer  Rhode  Island  at  a  distance  of  some 
twelve  miles,  the  first  thing  observed  was  a 
bright  flame,  which  suddenly  leaped  into  the 
air  a  height  that  would  subtend  some  six  or 
eight  degrees  of  arc.  This  flame  was  filled 
with  bright  points  or  coruscations  that  made 
its  appearance  very  beautiful.  Some  ten  sec 
onds  after  the  appearance  of  the  flame  two 
sharp  and  ringing  reports,  about  as  loud  as 


At  Fort  Fisher.  305 

those  from  a  6-pounder  brass  gun,  and  follow 
ing  each  other  in  rapid  succession,  were  heard 
directly  over  the  point  of  observation.  At  the 
same  instant  the  vessel  was  sensibly  jarred  and 
shaken,  and  upon  one  of  the  vessels  of  the 
squadron  some  window-glass  was  broken  by 
the  concussion.  Immediately  following  this, 
a  low,  rumbling  noise  like  distant  thunder  was 
heard  in  the  direction  of  the  explosion,  and  all 
was  then  quiet.  The  jar  and  noise  of  this  ex 
plosion  were  apparent  at  points  from  sixty  to 
one  hundred  miles  removed  from  it — namely, 
at  Beaufort  and  New  Berne,  N.  C.  Upon  an 
examination  of  the  fort  the  next  morning,  no 
perceptible  effects  could  be  seen  to  have  been 
produced  upon  the  work.  The  edges  and 
crests  of  the  parapets  and  traverses  remained 
as  sharp  and  well-defined  as  ever.  The  grass 
covering  their  surfaces  had  not  been  stripped 
from  them.  No  slides  or  craters  in  the  parapet 
could  be  observed.  The  stockade  from  the 
northeast  bastion  was  intact,  and  the  wooden 
barracks  and  other  buildings  about  the  fort 
were  still  standing.  It  is  not  believed  that 
any  guns  were  dismounted,  and  as  the  fort 
replied  to  the  fleet  for  the  first  hour  and  a 
quarter  of  the  fight  upon  the  24th  instant,  it 


3o6  The  Old  Navy. 

is  not  probable   the  garrison  were  so    much 
demoralized  as  to  unfit  them  for  service." 

"  At  7  A.M.,"  records  Commander  Trenchard, 
"the  fleet  got  under  way  and  at  8.10  A.M., 
formed  in  line  of  battle  ahead  and  steamed 
in  for  New  Inlet.  At  9  A.M.  we  went  to 
quarters  and  cleared  the  ship  for  action.  At 
10.30  A.M.,  the  wind  having  freshened,  we 
came  to  anchor.  At  11.30  A.M.,  the  wind 
moderating,  the  fleet  got  under  way  again  and 
steamed  in  for  New  Inlet.  New  Ironsides  at 
i  P.M.  being  in  position,  opened  fire  upon  Fort 
Fisher,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  bombardment 
became  general,  each  ship  concentrating  its 
fire  upon  Fort  Fisher  and  other  batteries.  At 
2.50  P.M.  the  Rhode  Island  reached  its  position, 
opening  fire  with  the  starboard  battery.  We 
dropped  a  kedge  from  the  stern  and  swung 
the  ship  ;  then  we  let  go  the  bower  anchor,  thus 
anchoring  the  ship  head  and  stern,  and  bring 
ing  her  port  broadside  to  bear  upon  Fort 
Fisher  and  the  Mound  Battery,  on  which  a 
brisk  fire  was  kept.  One  of  the  starboard 
guns  having  been  shifted  to  the  port  side  gave 
us  eight  guns  upon  that  side,  namely,  one  9- 
inch,  five  8-inch,  and  two  3O-pounder  rifled 
guns. 


At  Fort  Fisher.  3°7 

"  At  3.45  P.M.  a  shot  from  the  second  divi 
sion  cut  away  the  flagstaff  on  Fort  Fisher. 
About  this  time  all  the  vessels  had  taken  their 
positions  and  a  most  terrific  fire  was  kept  up 
by  the  fleet  upon  the  batteries  which  appeared 
to  be  very  nearly  silenced,  and  Fort  Fisher  in 
flames.  Had  the  troops  only  been  on  hand  at 
this  time  they  might  have  landed  and  taken 
possession  of  the  works  without  opposition. 

"  The  Mound  Battery  flagstaff  was  shot  away 
two  or  three  times  but  was  speedily  replaced 
by  some  soldier  regardless  of  the  danger  to 
which  he  was  exposed.  The  fleet  sustained 
but  little  damage  from  the  fire  of  the  forts  but 
a  sad  loss  by  the  explosion  of  some  Parrott 
guns.  The  Admiral  steamed  through  the 
fleet  in  his  flagship,  the  Malvern,  during  the 
hottest  of  the  fire  and  directed  its  movements. 
The  plan  of  attack  was  well  arranged  and  car 
ried  out  with  no  difficulty.  At  5.20  P.M.  (then 
after  sunset)  the  Admiral  made  a  signal  to 
cease  firing,  the  fleet  weighed  anchor  and 
steamed  out  to  sea.  Our  steamer,  the  Little 
Rhody,  had  not  been  struck,  we  sustained  no 
casualties,  and  we  left  with  grateful  hearts  to  the 
Kind  Giver  of  all  good  things  for  our  preserva 
tion  and  safety.  The  fleet  left  for  Beaufort." 


308  The  Old  Navy. 

Such  is  Commander  Trenchard's  modest 
account  of  the  part  he  took  in  this  celebrated 
bombardment.  Mr.  Anderson,  however,  the 
reporter  of  the  Philadelphia  Inquirer,  gives 
the  following :  "  From  her  construction  the 
Rhode  Island  was  forced  to  fight  with  her  port 
guns  (her  paddle-wheels  making  it  difficult  to 
bring  the  starboard  battery  into  play).  All 
eyes  watched  her.  She  was  headed  in  the 
opposite  direction  from  which  most  of  the 
Union  ships  were  placed.  She  was  admirably 
handled  while  performing  the  anomalous  and 
dangerous  manoeuvre,  her  officers  availing 
themselves  of  her  sails  as  well  as  steam  to  turn 
rapidly.  When  half-turned,  and  with  her  stern 
exposed  to  the  Mound  Battery,  a  raking  shot 
was  fired  at  her.  She  was  in  a  perilous  posi 
tion,  but  training  the  after  gun  of  her  battery 
she  sent  her  compliments  of  defiance  right  up 
the  sloping  sides  of  the  Mound.  After  a  few 
anxious  moments,  she  turned  safely  around, 
dropped  her  anchors,  and  poured  broadside 
after  broadside  against  the  Mound  Battery, 
until  finally  the  flagstaff  was  shot  away." 

The  fleet  left  for  Beaufort  between  7  and  8 
P.M.,  anchoring  off  the  bar  on  the  following 
morning.  The  next  day  the  Rhode  Island  re- 


At  Fort  Fisher.  309 

turned  to  New  Inlet  to  assist  in  taking  off  the 
national  troops  who  had  been  landed  to  assault 
Fort  Fisher.  Under  date  of  December  26th, 
Commander  Trenchard  writes  :  "  Got  under 
way  and  stood  in  for  the  shore  and  anchored  in 
six  fathoms  of  water  by  direction  of  Rear-Ad 
miral  Porter  to  protect  with  our  guns  the  troops 
which  had  been  landed  yesterday.  During 
the  night  we  kept  up  a  fire  at  intervals  of  twenty 
minutes  to  the  left  and  rear  of  our  troops,  the 
other  gunboats  shelling  the  woods  to  the  right. 
The  Santiago  de  Cuba,  whose  place  we  had 
taken,  proceeded  North  with  despatches. 

"  TUESDAY,  December  27th. 

"  Moderate  breezes  from  the  south  and  west, 
and  pleasant.  Engaged  in  shelling  the  woods 
to  the  left  of  our  troops,  the  other  gunboats  shell 
ing  to  the  right.  Between  7  and  8  A.M.  I  sent 
boats  to  aid  in  embarking  troops  which  I  super 
intended  in  person.  The  surf  being  very  high, 
this  task  had  to  be  executed  with  great  care  by 
running  lines  to  the  shore  from  the  smaller  ves 
sels,  and  in  that  way  hauling  the  surf  boats 
through  the  breakers  to  the  larger  boats  by 
which  the  troops  were  conveyed  to  the  tugs,  and 
by  them  to  the  transports.  A  large  number  of 


3io  The  Old  Navy. 

boats  were  sent  to  the  different  vessels  and  the 
whole  number  of  troops  was  embarked  safely 
just  before  midday.  Great  credit  is  due  to  the 
brave  sailors  for  their  strenuous  efforts  in  this 
work,  particularly  those  who  handled  the  surf 
boats  and  carried  them  through  the  breakers. 
Before  the  troops  had  been  embarked,  a  report 
came  that  the  rebels  had  concentrated  some  six 
thousand  troops  within  a  mile  of  our  own  men, 
but  the  report  was  unfounded.  The  gunboats 
all  returning  to  the  fleet  after  the  embarkation 
and  the  Rhode  Island  resumed  her  blockade 
duty." 

Immediately  after  the  unsuccessful  termina 
tion  of  the  first  expedition  against  Fort  Fisher, 
the  Rhode  Island  resumed  blockade  duty,  stand 
ing  on  and  off  the  bar  at  New  Inlet,  and  occa 
sionally  exchanging  signals  with  the  United 
States  warships  passing  up  and  down  the  coast. 
On  January  2,  1865,  she  dropped  anchor  off 
Beaufort  and  for  several  days  was  engaged  in 
coaling  from  a  schooner.  Commander  Trench- 
ard,  in  anticipation  of  the  second  expedition 
against  Fort  Fisher  which  was  about  to  be 
made,  improved  his  time  by  preparing  his  ship 
for  the  expected  bombardment.  Probably 
profiting  by  the  example  of  Captain  Winslow 


At  Fort  Fisher.  311 

in  the  Kearsarge,  Commander  Trenchard  ob 
tained  a  spare  chain-cable  from  the  shore  and 
arranged  it  so  as  to  protect  his  starboard  boiler  ; 
while  sand-bags,  spare  rigging,  and  hawsers 
were  arranged  so  as  to  give  additional  protec 
tion  to  the  machinery.  On  January  i  ith  a  por 
tion  of  the  fleet  destined  for  the  attack  on  Fort 
Fisher  got  under  way  and  anchored  outside 
Beaufort  bar,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  follow 
ing  day  the  fleet,  including  the  Rhode  Island, 
got  under  way  and  at  9.15  P.M.  anchored  off 
Wilmington. 

Under  date  of  January  13,  1865,  Commander 
Trenchard  writes  :  "  Light  airs  from  the  west 
with  clear,  pleasant  weather.  At  4.30  A.M.  we 
got  under  way  and  steamed  into  line.  At  7.30 
A.M.  we  cast  loose  the  battery  and  cleared  the 
ship  for  action.  At  9  A.M.  the  Second  Division 
of  the  fleet  anchored  near  the  shore  to  the  east 
of  Fort  Fisher  and  began  shelling  the  works, 
the  transports  coming  up  and  anchoring  near, 
while  the  Third  Division  formed  outside  of 
them.  The  fleet  lowered  boats  and  sent  them 
to  transport  and  land  the  troops.  At  10.30 
A.M.  the  Third  Division  anchored  near  the  shore 
to  cover  the  left  flank  of  the  landing  party  and 
after  shelling  the  woods  for  fully  half  an  hour 


312  The  Old  Navy. 

discontinued.  The  steamer  New  Ironsides  and 
the  monitors  were  steaming  up  and  when  in 
range  opened  upon  Fort  Fisher  and  continued 
firing  upon  it  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 
Line  of  battle  No.  i  got  under  way  and  opened 
fire  about  an  hour  before  sunset  and  it  was  fol 
lowed  by  the  second  line  soon  afterward,  keep 
ing  up  a  brisk  fire  until  after  dark  upon  the 
enemy's  works. 

"  SATURDAY,  January  i4th. 

"  Light  airs  from  the  west  and  pleasant 
weather.  Engaged  during  the  day  in  landing 
artillery  and  mules  belonging  to  the  army. 

"SUNDAY,  January  isth. 

"  Light  breezes  from  the  north  and  west, 
clear  and  pleasant  weather.  At  6  A.M.  the 
frigate  line  of  battle  got  under  way,  and  be 
gan  getting  into  position  to  resume  the  attack 
on  Fort  Fisher.  Acting-Ensign  Zera  L. 
Tanner,  accompanied  by  Acting-Ensign  Lem 
uel  Post,  were  placed  in  charge  of  the  boats 
to  assist  in  getting  the  siege-guns  belonging  to 
the  army,  on  shore.  At  10  A.M.,  pursuant  to 
signal,  the  marines  and  a  detachment  of  sail 
ors  from  this  ship,  under  the  command  of 
Lieutenant  Frederick  R.  Smith,  accompanied 


At  Fort  Fisher.  313 

by  Acting-Ensign  Nicholas  Pratt  and  Acting- 
Master's  Mate,  Edward  E.  Bradbury,  were 
sent  in  boats  to  join  the  storming  party  from 
the  fleet  in  the  assault  on  Fort  Fisher.  At 
ii  A.M.,  we  steamed  into  line  and  at  12.45  P-M- 
opened  fire  upon  the  batteries  to  the  south  of 
Fort  Fisher.  We  kept  up  a  continuous  fire 
with  the  seven  guns  of  the  starboard  battery. 
At  3  P.M.  the  signal  was  made  to  cease  firing 
just  as  the  Rhode  Island  had  got  in  nearer, 
and  in  a  position  for  her  broadside  guns  to 
take  effect  upon  the  Mound  or  Battery  Lamb 
(so  named  after  Col.  Lamb,  the  commander 
of  the  fort).  At  3.30  P.M.  the  assault  was 
made  upon  Fort  Fisher,  and  shortly  afterward 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  seen  waving  over 
its  walls.  The  guns  from  the  Mound  Battery 
were  now  turned  (by  the  Confederates)  upon 
the  fort,  and  could  we  have  opened  upon  it 
from  the  Third  Division,  the  guns  would  have 
been  silenced.  The  signal  subsequently  was 
made  :  '  to  fire  upon  the  Mound  Battery,'  but 
being  nearly  dark,  not  many  shot  took  effect. 
Firing  was  continued  upon  it  until  a  short 
time  before  8  P.M.,  signal  being  made  at 
that  hour  that  the  forts  were  in  our  posses 
sion. 


314  The  Old  Navy. 

"  MONDAY,  January  16,  1865. 

"  First  part  light  airs  from  the  south  and 
west  and  pleasant ;  latter  part  breezes  from 
the  north  and  east.  At  10  A.M.  Acting-En 
sign  Tanner,  with  his  party,  returned,  and  at 
10.15  A.M.,  Lieutenant  Smith  returned  with  the 
boats  and  the  men  under  his  command  with 
the  exception  of  Jeremiah  Coony,  boatswain's 
mate ;  Patrick  Harrington,  landsman ;  John 
Daisy,  marine  ;  B.  Morey,  ordinary  seaman, 
who  had  been  wounded  and  were  sent  on 
board  the  Fort  Jackson;  S.  D.  Tripp,  lands 
man  ;  Charles  Wilson,  ordinary  seaman,  miss 
ing  ;  Frederick  Anhes,  seaman,  Austen 
Benklin,  ordinary  seaman  ;  Harry  Devoe,  or 
dinary  seaman  ;  James  O'Sullivan,  landsman. 
At  i  P.M.  we  got  under  way,  and  communi 
cated  with  the  Admiral,  and  at  4.30  P.M.  took 
the  ironclad  Saugus  in  tow,  and  proceeded  to 
sea  with  her,  arriving  at  Hampton  Roads, 
January  i8th." 

In  his  official  report  Commander  Trenchard 
says  : 

"  Lieutenant  Frederick  R.  Smith,  executive 
officer  of  this  vessel,  rendered  valuable  aid  in 
carrying  out  my  orders  during  the  action  and 
in  getting  the  vessel  into  line.  I  have  great 


At  Fort  Fisher.  315 

satisfaction  in  stating  that  all  the  officers  be 
haved  with  uncommon  coolness,  exhibiting 
great  zeal  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  and 
encouraging  the  men  to  do  the  same.  The 
petty  officers,  crew,  and  marines,  one  and  all, 
behaved  well  at  their  guns  and  other  stations, 
discharging  their  duties  in  a  spirited  manner 
and  maintaining  a  brisk  and  continuous  fire 
upon  the  batteries. 

"  The  Rhode  Island  went  into  action  with 
nearly  one  half  her  complement,  a  party  being 
engaged  in  landing  siege-guns  for  the  army, 
the  importance  of  which  service  has  been  duly 
acknowledged  by  the  general  in  charge,  and 
another  portion  of  the  officers  and  crew,  with 
Lieutenant  Smith,  were  connected  with  the 
storming  party. 

"  Acting-Master  Charles  O'Neil,  in  the  ab 
sence  of  Lieutenant  Smith  in  charge  of  the 
storming-party  from  this  vessel,  acted  as  execu 
tive  officer  during  the  action,  which  in  addition 
to  his  own  duty,  he  discharged  with  special  credit. 

"  Acting-Ensign  Robert  O.  Lanfare,  the 
only  divisional  officer  on  board,  merits  praise, 
fighting  his  own  guns  and  exercising  a  super 
vision  over  the  others.  Acting-M aster's  Mates 
Richard  W.  Wallace,  John  P.  Fisher,  Henry 


316  The  Old  Navy. 

B.  Gardner,  and  George  H.  Appleton  deserve 
special  mention  for  the  good  manner  in  which 
their  guns  were  handled. 

"  I  have  also  to  acknowledge  the  services  of 
Acting-Chief-Engineer  John  F.  McCutchen 
for  the  skilful  manner  in  which  the  engine 
was  worked  during  the  action,  and  further  add 
Assistant  Paymaster,  William  Lee  Darling, 
acted  as  my  aide  during  the  engagement,  and 
rendered  himself  very  useful  in  communicating 
the  necessary  orders. 

"  Assistant  Surgeon  Edward  B.  Bingham 
deserves  mention  for  his  promptness  in  look 
ing  up  our  wounded  after  the  assault,  and 
bringing  on  board  for  treatment  all  those 
whose  wounds  would  admit  of  their  being 
moved,  thereby  making  more  room  on  the 
hospital  vessel  for  the  more  serious  cases. 

"  Captain's-Clerk  Langdon  S.  Rogers  de 
serves  mention  for  the  zealous  manner  in 
which  he  discharged  the  duties  of  signal  offi 
cer  on  this  occasion  as  well  as  during  the 
action  of  the  24th  of  December.  Paymaster's- 
Clerk,  William  J.  Bennett,  in  charge  of  the 
powder  division,  merits  a  favorable  mention 
for  the  careful  and  prompt  manner  in  which 
the  divisions  were  served. 


At  Fort  Fisher.  317 

"  Credit  is  due  to  the  gunner,  Henry  Hamil 
ton,  for  the  despatch  with  which  the  ammuni 
tion  was  delivered  from  the  magazine  and 
shell-room.  I  take  this  opportunity  to  bring 
to  your  favorable  notice  Charles  H.  Foy,  sig 
nal  quarter-master,  not  only  for  his  services 
during  the  action,  but  for  his  uniform  good 
conduct  and  long  and  faithful  services.  He 
has  been  in  the  naval  service  upwards  of 
twenty  years,  over  three  of  which  have  been 
on  board  of  this  vessel.  I  would  further  add 
that  very  great  credit  is  due  to  the  crew.  Al 
though  short-handed,  and  having  an  extra  gun 
on  the  starboard  side,  the  battery  was  worked 
well  and  rendered  good  service." 

Mr.  Anderson,  the  reporter  of  the  Philadel 
phia  Inquirer,  writing  of  the  part  the  Rhode 
Island  took  in  this  attack,  said  :  "  The  Rhode 
Island  came  in  for  a  double  share  of  their  [the 
Confederates']  warm  attentions,  her  guns 
knocking  one  of  their  small  batteries  into  pi. 
The  better  the  Confederates  trained  their  guns 
the  nearer  Commander  Trenchard  stood  in  for 
the  Mound,  the  RJiodys  guns  entirely  destroy 
ing  the  smooth  parapets  of  Col.  Lamb's 
pet  battery.  At  last  it  became  a  duel  between 
the  Rhody  and  the  Mound  Battery  until  the 


318  The  Old  Navy. 

order  to  cease  firing  was  given."  Brigadier- 
General  Henry  L.  Abbott,  who  commanded 
the  land  portion  of  the  attack,  paid  a  high  com 
pliment  to  Lieutenant  Tanner  in  the  following 
note,  dated  January  14,  1865,  which  he  sent  to 
Commander  Trenchard  :  "  I  shall  be  under 
great  obligations  if  you  will  detail  Lieutenant 
Tanner  permanently  to  take  charge  of  getting 
my  siege-guns  and  mortars  on  shore.  General 
Terry  is  very  anxious  to  put  the  same  in  posi 
tion.  It  will  only  occupy  a  few  days  at  the 
most,  and  it  is  a  duty  of  so  difficult  a  nature 
that  I  am  specially  anxious  to  secure  the  aid 
of  so  fine  and  skilful  an  officer  as  Lieutenant 
Tanner  has  proved  himself  to  be  to-day" 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

LAST    CRUISES    OF    THE 


"^HE  next  cruise  of  the  Rhode  Island  was 
JL  marked  with  distinguished  honor  for 
the  little  craft.  Soon  after  the  capture  of 
Fort  Fisher,  Commander  Trenchard  received 
the  following  order  from  Rear-Admiral  Porter, 
dated  flagship  Malvern,  Feb.  10,  1865  :  "  As 
soon  as  you  have  discharged  all  the  recruits 
brought  down  in  your  vessel,  you  will  pro 
ceed  without  delay  to  Hampton  Roads,  carry 
ing  the  mails,  and  report  yourself  to  the  Hon. 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  as  ready  to  bring  down 
the  War  Committee  who  propose  visiting  this 
locality."  Arriving  in  Hampton  Roads  after 
the  attack  on  Fort  Fisher,  the  Rhode  Island 
proceeded  immediately  to  the  Navy  Yard  and 
began  coaling  and  replenishing  her  store  of 
ammunition,  which  had  been  nearly  exhausted 

319 


320  The  Old  Navy. 

in  the  bombardment.  This  work  was  com 
pleted  January  24th,  and  at  7  A.M.  on  the 
25th,  she  cast  off  from  the  wharf  and,  steam 
ing  down  Elizabeth  River,  communicated  with 
the  Minnesota,  from  which  vessel  she  received 
instructions  to  proceed  up  Chesapeake  Bay 
and  towed  the  ironclad  Saugus  into  the  Roads. 
Commander  Trenchard  got  under  way  at  9.30 
A.M.  and  at  4.30  P.M.  met  the  Saugus  and  towed 
her  into  the  Roads,  anchoring  at  3.30  o'clock 
on  the  following  morning  near  Fort  Monroe, 
while  the  Saugus  continued  up  James  River  to 
take  part  in  the  naval  and  army  demonstra 
tions  in  that  quarter. 

At  half-past  nine  o'clock  the  same  morning, 
in  pursuance  of  the  order  received  from  Rear- 
Admiral  Porter,  the  little  Rhody  was  in  her 
best  trim.  Her  decks  had  been  holystoned  in 
the  morning,  the  brass  works  were  polished, 
and  the  officers  and  men  had  donned  their 
best  uniforms.  At  the  hour  named,  the  Assist 
ant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Gustavus  Vasa 
Fox,  Lieutenant-General  and  Mrs.  Grant, 
Major-General  and  Mrs.  Schofield,  Brigadier- 
General  and  Mrs.  Rollins,  Major-General 
Barnard,  Major  Whany,  Commodore  John 
Rodgers,  and  Captain  Twing,  of  the  Engi- 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "Rhode  Island."  321 

neers,  came  aboard  the  Rhode  Island  for 
passage.  They  constituted  Porter's  "war  com 
mittee."  A  salute  of  seventeen  guns  was 
fired  in  honor  of  General  Grant. 

At  7.45  P.M.  the  Rhode  Island  put  to  sea 
with  her  precious  cargo  of  humanity.  The 
wind  and  waves  were  favorable  for  the  great 
occasion,  and  the  gunboat  made  a  quick  run 
down  the  coast,  anchoring  off  Fort  Fisher  at 
4.10  P.M.,  on  the  following  day,  near  the  gun 
boat  Fort  Jackson.  At  five  o'clock  Mr.  Fox, 
General  Grant,  and  all  the  other  passengers, 
with  the  exception  of  the  ladies,  went  aboard 
the  little  steamer  Errand,  and  running  in 
Cape  Fear  River,  held  a  consultation  with 
Rear-Admiral  Porter  and  General  Terry,  after 
which  the  guests,  with  the  exception  of  Com 
modore  Rodgers  and  General  Barnard,  re 
turned  to  the  Rhode  Island  late  that  night. 
On  recovering  her  distinguished  guests,  the 
Rhode  Island  put  to  sea  an  hour  before  mid 
night,  and  arrived  off  Beaufort  at  half-past  seven 
on  the  following  morning.  Here  Mr.  Fox, 
General  Grant,  "  and  the  ladies  of  the  party  " 
took  a  run  into  Beaufort  in  a  tug,  returning  at 
2.30  P.M.,  immediately  after  which  the  Rhode 
Island  again  put  to  sea  and  favored  with  ex- 


322  The  Old  Navy. 

ceptionally  fine  weather,  steamed  rapidly  up 
the  coast,  passing  Hatteras  Light  at  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  arriving  at  Hampton 
Roads  at  4  P.M.  Here  the  guests  went  ashore, 
expressing  themselves  as  being  greatly  pleased 
with  the  jaunt. 

After  dining  with  Commodore  Schenck  in 
the  Powhatan,  Commander  Trenchard,  on  the 
evening  of  February  4th,  steamed  out  of 
Hampton  Roads,  having  on  board  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Thornton,  Lieutenant  N.  W. 
Saunders,  and  several  officers,  besides  216 
seamen  who  were  to  join  various  ships  of  the 
blockading  squadrons.  Arriving  off  Fort 
Fisher,  Commander  Trenchard  notes  :  "  Pulled 
in  with  the  first  cutter  and  called  upon  Ad 
miral  Porter,  taking  lunch  on  board  the  flag 
ship  Malvern,  and  returning  in  the  afternoon 
to  my  own  ship."  On  the  following  day,  a  num 
ber  of  the  Rhode  Islanders  went  ashore  and 
visited  the  Mound  Battery  which  had  been 
such  a  conspicuous  feature  in  the  attacks  on 
Fort  Fisher.  Commander  Trenchard  notes  : 
"  I  was  struck  by  the  extent  and  great  strength 
of  the  works  which  far  exceeded  my  expecta 
tions."  Putting  her  passengers  aboard  their 
several  ships,  the  Rhode  Island  returned  to 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  323 

Hampton  Roads,  where  the  mail-steamers 
Morning  Star  and  Queen  also  arrived,  bring 
ing  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  United  States 
steamer  Merrimac,  which  had  been  wrecked 
off  Cape  Canaveral. 

The  Rhode  Island  was  at  Hampton  Roads 
on  February  22d,  and  Commander  Trenchard 
notes  that  the  British  war-steamer  Buzzard 
uniting  with  the  American  cruisers  in  firing  a 
salute  at  noon  in  honor  of  the  day,  and  as 
Fort  Monroe  and  the  battery  at  the  Navy 
Yard  added  their  thunder,  the  Roads  for  a  time 
presented  a  lively  scene.  While  at  this  place, 
Commander  Trenchard  heard  what,  at  that 
time,  was  regarded  as  "  great  news."  Under 
date  of  February  2Oth,  he  says  the  State  of 
Georgia  arrived  "  with  the  news  that  Charles 
ton  was  evacuated,"  the  Confederates  having 
abandoned  the  city  three  days  before.  Under 
date  of  February  23d  he  notes:  "The  U.  S. 
steamer  Newberne  arrived  from  Fort  Fisher 
bringing  the  news  that  our  forces  were  within 
four  miles  of  Wilmington  and  still  advanc 
ing.  .  .  .  The  Newberne  brought  the  Con 
federate  navy  prisoners,  who  were  sent  to 
Fort  Monroe."  On  the  following  day  he  says  : 
"The  U.  S.  steamer  R.  R.  Cuyler  arrived 


324  The  Old  Navy. 

from  Cape  Fear  reporting  that  our  forces  had 
taken  Wilmington,  the  rebels  retreating  and 
leaving  a  number  of  troops  who  were  made 
prisoners." 

On  February  26th  the  Rhode  Island  took 
another  run  down  to  New  Inlet  with  de 
spatches  for  Rear- Admiral  Porter.  Commander 
Trenchard  breakfasted  with  the  Admiral,  Feb 
ruary  28th,  and  on  March  2d,  Porter  trans 
ferred  his  flag  to  the  Rhode  Island  and  came 
on  board  with  his  son  Essex,  a  lieutenant  in 
the  first  artillery.  While  again  elevated  to 
the  dignity  of  flagship  the  Rhode  Island  per 
formed  a  gallant  service.  She  left  New  Inlet 
at  8.30  A.M.  and  put  to  sea,  the  weather  being 
cloudy  and  the  breeze  light  from  the  north 
and  east.  At  IOA.M.,  when  off  Cape  Lookout 
Shoals,  a  schooner  was  discovered  showing  sig 
nals  of  distress.  Commander  Trenchard  stood 
in  for  her  as  near  as  the  shoaling  waters  would 
allow,  and  he  hove-to,  lowered  a  boat,  and  sent 
it  in  charge  of  Acting-Ensign  Nicholas  Pratt 
to  the  assistance  of  the  schooner.  With  no 
little  danger  to  themselves  the  boat's  crew 
reached  the  schooner  and  found  that  her  peo 
ple  were  nearly  dead  from  exposure  to  the  wet 
and  cold.  They  had  been  in  their  perilous 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  325 

positions  three  nights  and  two  days.  The 
schooner  proved  to  be  the  Spray,  of  Great 
Egg  Harbor,  N.  J.,  from  Fort  Monroe,  bound 
for  Beaufort,  laden  with  coal  for  the  army. 
She  had  run  on  the  shoals  three  nights  before, 
and  being  exposed  to  the  full  force  of  the 
waves,  in  a  short  time  began  to  fall  to  pieces. 
Her  men  finally  were  driven  to  the  bowsprit 
and  jibboom,  from  which  they  were  rescued  by 
the  Rhode  Island's  boat.  They  were  Israel  G. 
Adams,  master ;  Hezekiah  Lee,  mate  ;  Elisha 
Jackson,  steward  ;  William  Henderson, 
Thomas  H.  Beaumont,  and  Moses  Minks, 
seamen.  These  men  were  taken  aboard  the 
Rhode  Island,  where  they  were  received  with 
every  kindness.  The  gunboat  resumed  her 
course  for  Hampton  Roads  at  5.50  P.M., 
where  she  arrived  on  the  afternoon  of  March 
4th,  Rear-Admiral  Porter  transferring  his  flag 
to  the  U.  S.  steamer  Bat  and  proceeded  to 
Baltimore. 

Having  passed  through  the  war  with  much 
credit  to  herself  and  her  officers  the  little 
Rhode  Island  now  began  to  taste  the  sweets 
of  victory.  Compliments  and  receptions  were 
lavishly  bestowed  on  the  returning  sailors  and 
soldiers  after  the  war  was  over,  and  it  is  only 


326  The  Old  Navy. 

fair  to  say  that  our  doughty  gunboat  came  in 
for  her  full  share  of  the  laurels.  Early  in 
March,  Commander  Trenchard  got  a  leave  of 
absence  and  running  up  to  Philadelphia  was 
warmly  greeted  by  his  many  friends.  Return 
ing  from  this  brief  furlough  he  rejoined  his 
ship,  and  on  March  2Oth,  accompanied  by  the 
ironclad  Dictator,  put  to  sea,  escorting  her  as 
far  as  New  York.  Here  he  received  the  fol 
lowing  order  from  Secretary  Welles  :  "  As 
soon  as  the  Rhode  Island  is  ready  for  sea,  pro 
ceed  with  her  to  the  coast  of  Maine  for  the 
purpose  of  recruiting  men  for  the  navy.  You 
will  first  visit  the  port  of  Belfast.  The  bureau 
of  Equipment  and  Recruiting  will  furnish  you 
with  all  the  necessary  instructions  respecting 
recruiting  service." 

Proceeding  immediately  to  Belfast,  the 
Rhode  Island,  .on  March  3ist,  was  visited  by 
the  mayor  of  the  city  and  a  large  number  of 
ladies  and  gentlemen  who  undoubtedly  said 
some  very  wise  things  about  seamanship  in 
general,  and  about  the  Rhode  Island  in  par 
ticular.  Indeed,  the  little  gunboat  was  an  ob 
ject  of  great  interest  during  her  entire  stay, 
and  her  veteran  seamen  had  some  most  mar 
vellous  yarns  to  tell  to  the  crowds  of  credulous 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  327 

townsfolk  that  visited  her.  These  people  came 
on  board  devoutly  prepared  to  believe  every 
thing  and  anything  about  the  ship,  for  the 
plucky  little  Rhode  Island,  with  her  pert,  de 
fiant  pug-nose  of  a  bowsprit,  was  just  the 
craft  to  capture  the  fancy  of  landlubbers.  It 
would  not  have  been  strange  if  her  timbers 
did  groan  at  some  of  the  dreadfully 'strained 
yarns  that  were  told  about  her  performances 
by  some  of  her  straight-faced  Jack  tars  who  de 
lighted  in  showing  the  visitors  over  the  ship. 

"  And  did  this  dear  old  ship  really  cross 
right  over  an  island  and  resume  the  chase 
after  the  rebel  pirate  on  the  other  side  ? "  rap 
turously  asked  an  enthusiastic  maiden  of  a 
weather-beaten  rascal  of  a  tar,  after  he  had  ex 
plained  how  the  paddle-wheels  could  propel  as 
well  on  land  as  on  sea. 

"That's  what  she  did,  marm,  and  if  that 
ain't  so,  you  can  call  me  a  liar,"  replied  the  tar, 
and  the  exploit  was  vociferously  discussed  in 
the  sewing-circles  all  that  summer  and  the  fol 
lowing  winter. 

The  people  of  the  Rhode  Island  were  not  al 
together  indifferent  to  the  lavish  admiration 
that  was  bestowed  upon  them.  Your  genuine 
old  salt  is  a  modest  fellow  as  a  rule,  and  in 


328  The  Old  Navy. 

the  presence  of  his  fellow-seamen  is  far  from 
presuming  on  their  credulity.  But  once  let 
him  loose  in  a  crowd  of  landsfolk  (particularly 
when  they  are  really  more  willing  to  hear  un 
truths  than  truths,  so  long  as  they  can  marvel) 
and  the  very  bounds  of  imagination  are  shat 
tered  in  his  wild  reach  after  the  marvellous 
and  impossible.  And  the  worst  feature  of  it 
all  is  that  if  Jack  remains  in  these  enervating 
surroundings  too  long,  his  capacity  for  telling 
the  truth  seems  to  disappear  entirely,  and  he 
soon  becomes  a  confirmed  and  hopeless  pre 
varicator  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  sea. 
The  honest  tars  of  the  Rhode  Island  took  ex 
quisite  delight  in  spinning  yarns  to  the  won 
dering  people  from  the  shore,  and  it  was 
simply  appalling  to  observe  what  immense 
chunks  of  falsehood  were  added  to  a  yarn  on 
each  repetition. 

The  climax  of  this  delirious  state  of  enjoy 
ment  was  reached  when  the  little  Rhody  got  an 
opportunity  to  fire  off  her  big  guns.  It 's  all 
well  enough  to  tell  stories  of  wonderful  deeds 
of  heroism  to  credulous  landsfolk,  but  there  is 
nothing  like  the  heavy  boom  of  a  real  gun  to 
give  the  yarn  its  proper  emphasis  and  full 
weight  in  the  minds  of  the  hearers.  This  ad- 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  329 

ditiorial  tickle  was  afforded  Jack  on  April  3d, 
when  the  Rhode  Island  had  been  in  port  sev 
eral  days.  By  that  time  popular  interest  in 
the  gunboat  had  reached  its  height,  and  the 
people's  power  of  believing  everything  and 
anything  had  reached  the  limit  of  endurance,  if, 
indeed,  it  had  not  begun  to  flag  a  bit.  So  that 
the  discharge  of  real  guns,  guns  that  had  been 
actually  fired  in  earnest,  came  just  at  the  right 
time  to  give  the  festival  of  untruths  an  addi 
tional  zest. 

The  pretext  for  firing  the  guns  was  afforded 
on  April  3d,  when  the  news  came  that  Rich 
mond  had  fallen.  It  is  true  that  this  was  not 
much  of  a  pretext,  for  the  Rhode  Islanders  had 
learned  of  the  surrender  of  New  Orleans, 
Vicksburg,  Mobile,  and  Charleston,  without 
indulging  in  such  a  lavish  outlay  of  gunpow 
der.  But  how  could  it  be  possible  for  a  gallant 
son  of  Old  Neptune  to  refuse  the  entreaties  to 
hear  those  "  dreadful  guns"  go  off?  So  on 
April  3d,  the  gunboat  was  bedecked  with 
bunting,  and  promptly  at  i  P.M.  the  guns  be 
gan  to  boom  away.  It  was  astonishing  to  ob 
serve  what  a  martial  effect  it  inspired,  not  only 
among  the  townsfolk,  but  among  the  seamen. 
The  stern  cast  of  countenance  that  was  ob- 


330  The  Old  Navy. 

served  to  fall  suddenly  over  the  crew  was  soul- 
stirring.  The  martial  strut  of  the  young 
officers  (when  not  interrupted  by  tripping 
over  their  own  swords)  around  the  decks,  the 
abnormally  distended  chests,  the  over-erect 
heads,  and  their  solemn  countenances  were 
sublimely  suggestive  of  the  "Dead  March  in 
Saul."  As  the  cannon  banged  away,  splitting 
the  air  with  their  murderous  noise,  the  seamen 
assumed  poses  becoming  a  man-o'-war's  man  in 
the  heat  of  action.  Some  looked  scowlingly 
over  the  bulwarks  at  an  imaginary  foe  ;  others 
with  set  teeth  looked  straight  ahead  at  noth 
ing,  as  if  expecting  a  mortal  wound  at  any 
instant ;  others  surveyed  the  groups  of  half- 
startled  young  men  and  cowering  maidens, 
stopping  their  ears  with  their  hands,  with  a 
pitying  smile,  as  if  to  say,  "  Oh,  this  is  noth 
ing;  you  ought  to  have  heard  those  guns  at 
Fort  Fisher." 

In  return  for  this  sweet  taste  of  war  the 
townsfolk  vied  with  each  other  in  entertaining 
the  gallant  Rhodies  whenever  they  appeared 
on  shore.  The  officers  were  handsomely 
dined  and  wined  (or,  more  accurately  speaking, 
cidered)  at  the  houses  of  society,  while  Jack  was 
lionized  by  the  ubiquitous  small  boy  and  one 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "Rhode  Island."  331 

of  the  two  or  three  "men  about  town"-— all 
that  slow-going  Belfast  could  boast  of.  When 
the  news  of  Lee's  surrender,  April  loth,  was 
received,  the  climax  of  Jack's  delicious  revery 
was  reached.  The  order  was  given  to  man 
the  yards.  Up  scrambled  Jack  to  the  dizzy 
heights  (as  dizzy  as  the  stumpy  masts  of 
the  little  Rhody  would  permit),  and  at  the 
signal  gave  three  times  three  hearty  cheers 
before  the  admiring  thousands  on  shore.  This 
was  followed  up  by  again  bedecking  the  ship 
with  bunting,  firing  a  salute  of  twenty-one 
guns,  and  at  night  illuminating  with  lanterns. 
The  city  also  was  illuminated,  and  a  great  mass- 
meeting  was  held  at  Pierce's  Hall,  at  which 
the  Rhode  Islanders  "exchanged  congratula 
tions  with  the  townsfolk  over  the  fall  of  Rich 
mond,  the  surrender  of  Lee  and  his  army,  and 
the  downfall  of  the  rebellion,"  so  that  Jack 
literally  retired  that  night  in  a  blaze  of  glory. 
In  the  midst  of  these  scenes  of  festivities 
came  the  appalling  news  of  the  assassination 
of  President  Lincoln.  On  April  i8th,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  assembled  his  officers  and 
men  at  muster,  and  read  general  order  No.  51, 
which  concluded  with  these  words :  "  The 
officers  of  the  Navy  and  Marine  Corps  will, 


332  The  Old  Navy. 

as  a  manifestation  of  their  respect  for  the  ex 
alted  character,  eminent  position,  and  inesti 
mable  public  services  of  the  late  President, 
and  as  an  indication  of  their  sense  of  the 
calamity  which  the  country  has  sustained, 
wear  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  for  six 
months.  The  Department  further  directs  that 
upon  the  day  following  the  receipt  of  this  or 
der,  the  commandants  of  squadrons,  navy 
yards,  and  stations  will  cause  the  ensign  of 
every  vessel  in  their  several  commands  to  be 
hoisted  at  half-mast  and  a  gun  to  be  fired 
every  half-hour,  beginning  at  sunrise  and  end 
ing  at  sunset.  The  flags  of  the  several  navy 
yards  and  marine  barracks  will  also  be  hoisted 
at  half-mast."  On  the  following  day  the  offi 
cers  and  men  who  could  be  spared  from  the 
ship  attended  services  at  the  First  Unitarian 
Church. 

The  Rhode  Island's  pleasant  stay  at  Belfast 
was  cut  short  by  an  order  from  Secretary 
Welles,  dated  April  18,  1865,  which  said: 
"  Naval  recruiting,  except  to  persons  holding 
honorable  discharges,  has  been  suspended  for 
the  present.  You  will  proceed  to  New  York 
and  put  the  men  you  have  enlisted  for  three 
years  on  board  the  receiving-ship,  and  receive 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  333 

on  board  as  large  a  draft  as  the  Rhode  Island 
can  carry  of  men  having  a  year  more  or  less 
to  serve,  whom  you  will  take  to  the  West  Gulf 
Squadron  at  Mobile  or  Pensacola.  Having 
delivered  the  draft  you  will  return  to  New 
York  without  delay." 

Amid  many  Godspeeds  and  with  waving  of 
handkerchiefs  the  Rhode  Island  left  Belfast, 
April  24th,  bound  for  New  York.  The  gun 
boat  arrived  in  New  York  and  on  April  3Oth 
put  to  sea.  On  May  3d,  Commander  Trenchard 
ran  into  Charleston,  where  for  the  first  time 
in  four  years  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
Old  Glory  waving  from  the  battered  ramparts 
of  Fort  Sumter.  The  touching  sight  is  noted 
by  Commander  Trenchard  as  follows:  "At 
11.45  A-M-  I  sent  an  officer  in  with  the  pilot- 
boat  to  convey  despatches  to  Rear-Admiral 
Dahlgren,  and  upon  the  officer  returning,  be 
tween  3  and  4  P.M.,  we  got  under  way.  The 
squadron  off  Charleston  was  rejoicing  over 
the  late  victories  by  saluting,  dressing  the 
ships,  etc.  It  was  truly  a  pleasing  sight  to 
behold  our  good  old  flag  waving  over  the  walls 
of  Sumter  and  the  other  forts." 

Rapidly  skirting  along  the  Florida  coast, 
touching  at  the  principal  ports  with  which  she 


334  The  Old  Navy. 

became  so  familiar  during  the  war,  the  Rhode 
Island  on  May  5th,  while  near  Carrysford 
Light,  fell  in  with  one  of  her  old  friends, 
namely,  a  reef.  The  vessel  struck  lightly  and 
fortunately  sustained  no  serious  damage. 
Dropping  anchor  in  Mobile  Bay,  Commander 
Trenchard  got  into  his  barge  and  pulled  up  to 
the  city,  where  he  delivered  despatches  to  Rear- 
Admiral  Thatcher,  commanding  the  West  Gulf 
Squadron.  In  returning  down  the  bay,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  notes  :  "  We  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  fortifications,  their  extent,  and  the 
obstructions  in  the  river,  which  were  much 
greater  than  I  had  imagined."  Transferring  a 
number  of  her  officers  to  the  vessels  of  this 
squadron,  and  taking  on  board  others  in  their 
place,  the  Rhode  Island  proceeded  northward 
and  arrived  at  Hampton  Roads,  May  22d, 
bringing  the  news  that  St.  Marks  and  Talla 
hassee,  Fla.,  had  surrendered  to  the  Union 
forces  on  the  Qth.  From  Hampton  Roads  the 
Rhode  Island  made  her  way  to  New  York, 
reaching  the  Navy  Yard  May  23d,  where  the 
supernumeraries  were  sent  to  the  receiving- 
ship  North  Carolina,  and  the  invalids  to  the 
hospital. 

To  people  living  in  the  city  a  trip  to  Cen- 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  335 

tral  Park  is  a  matter  of  no  special  significance, 
but  to  the  sailor  just  returned  from  long  ser 
vice  on  the  ocean,  the  sight  of  the  green  lawns 
and  carefully  trimmed  shrubbery  is  one  of  ex 
quisite  delight.  It  so  proved  to  Commander 
Trenchard,  who  visited  the  park  with  his  family 
soon  after  his  return  from  his  last  cruise.  He 
notes  :  "  Paid  a  visit  to  Central  Park  in  com 
pany  with  my  family  and  enjoyed  the  ride 
through  its  beautiful  grounds  exceedingly. 
Found  that  great  improvement  had  taken 
place  since  our  former  visit.  It  is  indeed  a 
lovely  spot,  and  in  course  of  time  will  vie  with 
the  finest  parks  in  the  world." 

The  following  order,  dated  May  27,  1865, 
sent  the  Rhode  Island  again  to  sea  :  "  Proceed 
with  the  Rhode  Island  to  Mariguana  Passage 
and  relieve  Commander  Patterson  as  senior 
officer  of  the  convoy  service  fleet.  The  Tacoma 
has  recently  sailed  from  New  York  to  report 
for  duty  as  one  of  the  convoy  fleet,  and  the 
Seneca  will  sail  shortly  under  similar  orders. 
The  Galatea,  now  on  this  duty,  is  represented 
as  being  in  a  bad  condition,  and  should  be  sent 
to  New  York  as  soon  as  her  services  can  be 
spared.  It  is  not  likely  that  this  convoy  ser 
vice  will  be  required  much  longer.  The  coal 


336  The  Old  Navy. 

depot  of  the  fleet  is  at  Cape  Haytien.  Orders 
for  the  James  Adger  to  return  to  New  York 
on  being  relieved  by  the  Rhode  Island  here 
with  transmitted." 

The  Rhode  Island  left  New  York  for  Cape 
Haytien,  June  4th.  At  10.20  A.M.  of  the  Qth,  a 
strange  sail  was  sighted  to  the  south-southeast, 
and  after  an  hour  of  hard  chasing,  it  was  over 
taken  and  found  to  be  the  English  steamer  Mon- 
tezuma.  On  arriving  at  Cape  Haytien,  where 
he  found  the  United  States  vessel  James  Adger, 
Commander  Patterson,  and  the  Galatea,  Com 
mander  Nicholson,  Commander  Trenchard 
noticed  that  a  marked  change  had  come  over 
the  bearing  of  the  British  officials  toward 
American  officers.  Early  in  the  war  the 
Rhode  Island  had  been  received  with  scant 
courtesy,  while  the  Confederates  had  been 
entertained  with  lavish  hospitality.  The  day 
following  the  Rhode  Islands  arrival  at  Cape 
Haytien  the  British  cruiser  Lily,  Captain 
Henage,  came  in  from  Port-au-Prince,  her 
commander  making  a  call  on  Commander 
Trenchard  a  few  hours  later.  In  response  to 
the  cordial  invitation  of  Captain  Henage, 
Commanders  Trenchard  and  Patterson  went 
aboard  the  Lily  the  next  day.  On  the  follow- 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  337 

ing  Sunday  Captain  Henage,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Button,  the  English  consul,  visited  the 
Rhode  Island  and  attended  divine  service. 
The  next  day  Mr.  Button  again  paid  a  visit  to 
the  Rhode  Island,  and  on  leaving  was  saluted 
with  seven  guns. 

At  this  time  a  revolution  was  under  way  at 
Cape  Haytien  and  fears  were  entertained  for 
the  safety  of  the  foreign  residents.  For  their 
protection  a  detachment  of  the  Rhode  Island's 
marines  was  landed,  together  with  a  detachment 
from  the  Galatea,  for  the  protection  of  the 
American  consulate.  Leaving  these  men 
ashore,  the  Rhode  Island  put  to  sea  June  2Oth 
for  the  purpose  of  escorting  the  mail-steamer 
Costa  Rica  through  that  part  of  the  West 
Indies  and  also  for  receiving  from  her  letters 
and  mail  from  New  York.  The  Rhode  Island 
fell  in  with  the  Costa  Rica  off  the  northwest 
point  of  Mariguana  Island,  and  after  receiving 
a  supply  of  ice  and  the  mails,  convoyed  her  to 
the  island  of  Navassa,  and  then  returned  to 
Cape  Haytien. 

Commander  Trenchard  now  learned  that 
friction  had  been  excited  between  the  natives 
and  the  foreign  population  on  account  of  the 
landing  of  the  marines.  The  American  bark 


338  The  Old  Navy. 

Abdel  Kedar,  laden  with  coal  for  the  squadron, 
had  recently  arrived  from  Philadelphia,  and  as 
a  precautionary  measure  a  boat,  under  the 
orders  of  Acting-Ensign  Robert  O.  Lanfare, 
with  eighteen  armed  blue-jackets  and  two 
marines,  was  sent  to  take  a  party  of  American 
ladies  on  board  the  Abdel  Kedar,  as  it  was 
deemed  unsafe  for  them  to  remain  on  shore. 
On  Sunday,  July  2d,  Commander  Trenchard 
landed  one  hundred  armed  men  from  his  ship 
for  the  protection  of  the  consulate,  which  was 
threatened  by  the  excited  populace.  A  similar 
detachment  was  landed  from  the  Lily  under 
Captain  Henage,  the  two  divisions  joining 
forces  in  the  public  square. 

This  movement  gave  rise  to  the  rumor 
among  the  natives  that  the  Americans  and 
English  were  about  to  take  the  town  by  as 
sault.  The  natives  consequently  rapidly  con 
centrated  their  forces  for  the  purpose  of  making 
an  attack,  and  for  a  time  it  looked  very  much 
as  if  a  battle  might  be  precipitated.  Fortunate 
ly  the  officers  on  both  sides  were  cool  enough 
to  await  explanations,  and  when  assured  that 
the  only  object  of  the  Americans  and  English 
was  to  protect  their  consulates  the  "  Committee 
of  Public  Safety"  admitted  their  right  to  do 


Last  Cruises  of  the  "  Rhode  Island."  339 

this,  but  suggested  that  the  seamen  be  with 
drawn  and  a  guard  of  only  twenty  men  be  left 
at  each  consulate.  As  the  Committee  of  Pub 
lic  Safety  agreed  to  furnish  a  guard  of  honor, 
and  promised  that  the  consulates  would  not  be 
molested,  the  sailors  were  re-embarked. 

For  the  next  week  or  so,  the  officers  of  the 
warships  at  Cape  Haytien  watched  the  battle 
between  the  Government  and  insurgents,  the 
latter  replying  only  at  long  intervals  on  account 
of  the  short  supply  of  gunpowder,  occasioned 
by  the  explosion  of  their  magazine,  July  I5th. 
At  8.30  P.M.,  July  i Qth,  the  people  in  the 
Rhode  Island  were  attracted  by  sharp  musketry 
firing  on  shore,  which  was  continued  until 
nearly  midnight.  It  was  ascertained  after 
ward  that  some  refugees  had  attempted  to 
escape  from  the  consulate.  Some  of  them  had 
succeeded  in  securing  a  boat  and  were  pushing 
off  when  they  were  fired  upon  by  the  guard. 
This  so  frightened  the  refugees  that  they  re 
turned  to  the  shore,  when  they  were  seized  by 
the  guards  and  on  being  taken  to  the  Palace 
Square  were  shot.  "  A  most  brutal  act,"  wrote 
Commander  Trenchard.  On  the  morning  of 
July  22d,  the  Rhode  Island's  guard,  stationed  at 
the  American  consulate  under  the  order  of 


34°  The  Old  Navy. 

Acting-Ensign    Lanfare,  was   recalled    to    the 
ship. 

The  following  order  from  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  dated  June  24th,  1865,  ended  the 
career  of  the  Rhode  Island  as  a  cruiser  :  "  The 
continuance  of  the  convoy  service  is  unneces 
sary  ;  therefore  order  the  Galatea  to  Philadel 
phia  and  proceed  with  the  Rhode  Island  to 
New  York."  In  pursuance  of  this  order  the 
Rhode  Island,  on  the  evening  of  July  22d,  left 
Cape  Haytien  and  began  her  final  homeward 
passage.  Arriving  at  New  York  it  was  found 
that  fever  had  broken  out  in  the  ship's  com 
pany,  it  having  been  brought  aboard  by  the 
men  who  had  been  sent  on  shore  for  guard 
duty.  After  being  quarantined,  the  Rhode 
Island  was  allowed  to  proceed  to  the  Navy 
Yard,  and  two  years  later  she  was  sold  to  her 
original  owners,  the  steamboat  company  run 
ning  between  New  York  and  Charleston. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

CLOSING    SCENES. 

HAVING  passed  through  the  Civil  War 
in  the  most  creditable  manner,  Com 
mander  Trenchard  nearly  met  death  in  a  most 
prosaic  way.  On  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was 
appointed  executive  officer  of  the  Brooklyn 
Navy  Yard,  and  on  September  9,  1865,  while  in 
a  picket-boat  in  the  East  River,  he  witnessed  a 
collision  between  a  ferry-boat  and  an  English 
steamer.  Observing  that  the  ferry-boat  was 
in  need  of  assistance,  Trenchard  directed  his 
men  to  run  alongside,  and  in  attempting  to 
gain  the  deck  of  the  ferry-boat  he  missed  his 
footing  and  fell  into  the  swift  current  of  the 
river,  where,  in  the  confusion  of  the  moment, 
he  undoubtedly  would  have  been  drowned, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  prompt  assistance 
given  by  John  Taylor,  a  seaman  who  was  in 

341 


342  The  Old  Navy. 

charge  of  the  picket-boat.  Taylor,  with  rare 
coolness  and  judgment,  gave  the  necessary  or 
ders  for  extricating  his  boat  from  its  position, 
and  in  a  few  moments  rescued  his  com 
mander. 

Promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain,  July,  1866, 
Trenchard  in  1869-71  commanded  the  flagship 
Lancaster,  of  the  South  Atlantic  Squadron. 
It  was  while  near  Montevideo  that  the  officers 
of  a  Russian  warship  gave  a  dinner  to  the  offi 
cers  of  the  Lancaster.  These  Russians  had 
queer  ways  of  expressing  their  friendship. 
One  of  them  was  to  seize  the  guest  of  honor 
and,  raising  him  bodily  on  their  shoulders, 
carry  him  three  times  around  the  festive 
board,  yelling  and  shouting  all  the  time  senti 
ments  which  generally  ended  in  "  itski "  or 
"  ishtoff."  Captain  Trenchard,  who  was  by 
nature  inclined  to  be  dignified  and  cere 
monious,  was  much  disturbed  by  this  bois 
terous  exhibition  of  friendship  on  the  part 
of  his  hosts.  But  there  was  no  help  for  it, 
and  when  they  finally  placed  him  on  his 
feet,  he  brushed  himself  together  as  best 
he  could,  and  made  a  heroic  effort  to  look 
pleased. 

With   the   rank  of  commodore,   he   served 


Closing  Scenes.  343 

three  years  as  an  Inspector  of  the  Third  Light 
house  District,  having  his  headquarters  at 
Staten  Island.  It  was  while  performing  this 
duty  that  Trenchard  introduced  a  reform  in 
the  lighthouse  department,  which  has  been 
maintained  to  this  day.  Previously,  light 
house  keepers  and  their  assistants  had  been 
accustomed  to  wearing  any  kind  of  clothing 
they  chose.  Trenchard's  suggestion  that  they 
be  uniformed  was  adopted,  and  now  the  keep 
ers  wear  a  neat,  distinctive  dress,  which  is  con 
ducive  to  good  order,  and  stimulates  their 
pride  in  the  service. 

There  were  137  lighthouses  and  light-ships 
in  this  district,  for  which  Trenchard  was  re 
sponsible,  and  he  considered  it  one  of  the 
greatest  compliments  of  his  life  when,  at  the 
close  of  the  service,  he  received  a  letter  of 
praise  from  George  W.  Blunt,  Secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Pilots,  New 
York.  Blunt  had  become  famous  for  his  per 
sistent  growling  and  fault-finding  in  all  matters 
pertaining  to  navigation,  and  to  have  him 
actually  say  something  good  about  the  man 
agement  of  lighthouses  was  indeed  a  marvel. 
His  letter,  dated  New  York,  October  6,  1875, 
said  in  part :  "  I  am  desired  by  the  Board  and 


344  The  Old  Navy. 

I  do  convey  to  you  its  good  wishes  in  your 
sphere  of  duty,  and  I  thank  you  in  its  behalf 
for  the  uniform  courtesy  and  promptness  with 
which  you  acted,  while  filling  the  office  of 
Lighthouse  Inspector  for  the  district,  upon 
the  necessarily  troublesome  and  numerous  re 
ports  of  displaced  buoys." 

In  1875,  August  loth,  Trenchard  attained 
the  rank  of  rear-admiral  in  Uncle  Sam's 
navy,  and  after  serving  as  chairman  of  a 
special  board  at  San  Francisco,  he  was  ordered 
to  command  a  North  Atlantic  Squadron,  hav 
ing  the  famous  Hartford  for  his  flagship. 
During  the  exciting  political  campaign  in 
which  the  partisans  of  Hayes  and  Tilden  each 
claimed  to  have  elected  their  candidates  to  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States,  Trenchard 
was  in  command  of  the  naval  force  that  was 
collected  at  Washington,  for  the  purpose  of 
preserving  order.  The  squadron  consisted  of 
the  Hartford,  Plymouth,  Ossippee,  Swatara, 
Alliance,  Ranger,  Essex,  Huron,  Wyandotle, 
Adams,  the  store-ship  New  Hampshire,  and 
the  monitors  Passaic,  Canonicus,  Catskill,  Dic 
tator,  Ajax,  S aiigus,  Mahopac,  Manhattan, 
Montauk,  and  the  Lehigh.  Fortunately  the 
services  of  the  navy  were  not  required. 


Closing  Scenes.  345 

While  in  command  of  this  force,  Rear-Ad 
miral  Trenchard  perfected  a  naval  brigade, 
which  could  be  landed  and  made  to  co-operate 
with  the  army  or  to  act  independently  on 
shore.  Speaking  of  this  brigade,  Major-General 
Barry  wrote  to  Trenchard  October  30,  1876: 
"  I  desire  to  express  to  you,  and  through  you 
to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Hartford, 
Shawmut,  and  Adams,  my  high  appreciation 
of,  and  hearty  thanks  for,  the  compliment  of 
the  review  ashore  which  they  so  handsomely 
paid  me  this  afternoon.  The  opportunity 
thus  afforded  me  to  judge  of  the  discipline 
and  qualifications  for  shore  duty  of  your  com 
mand,  has  served  to  strengthen  the  convictions 
already  formed,  that  such  a  body  of  gallant 
and  intelligent  officers  and  men  may  be  relied 
upon  under  any  and  all  circumstances." 

Trenchard  received  orders  July  26,  1877,  to 
send  the  Powhatan  to  Washington  with  all  the 
available  seamen  and  marines  of  the  squadron, 
some  fifteen  hundred  in  all,  in  view  of  antici 
pated  riots  in  that  city.  The  scene  in  the 
Powhatan  was  exciting.  The  blue-jackets 
were  busy  getting  ready  for  land  work.  They 
knew  only  one  duty,  and  that  was  the  defence 
of  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  They  were  equipped 


346  The  Old  Navy. 

with  Remington  rifles.  Trenchard  proceeded 
to  Washington,  where  he  met  his  staff,  and  for 
the  time  being,  the  Ebbitt  House  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  North  Atlantic  station. 
Fortunately,  our  gallant  tars  were  not  com 
pelled  to  raise  their  hand  against  their  own 
countrymen. 

Early  in  January,  1877,  Rear-Admiral 
Trenchard  arrived  at  Hampton  Roads  in  the 
Essex,  and  visited  Admiral  Bantatoff  and  the 
sailor  princes  in  the  Russian  frigate  Svetlana. 
On  February  7th,  a  banquet  was  given  in  the 
Hartford  to  the  Grand  Dukes  Alexis  and 
Constantine,  and  other  distinguished  Russian 
visitors. 

Rear-Admiral  Trenchard  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  Decoration  Day  ceremonies  of 
1878.  On  June  3d  of  that  year,  he  received  a 
letter  from  General  H.  A.  Barnum,  the  Grand 
Marshal  of  the  occasion,  who  said  :  "  On  be 
half  of  our  Memorial  Committee,  G.  A.  R.,  I 
hereby  tender  to  you,  and  through  you  to  the 
officers  of  the  Powhatan  and  the  Minnesota, 
our  most  grateful  thanks  for  your  participation 
in  our  Decoration  Day  parade,  to  the  impos 
ing  and  unprecedented  display  of  which,  even 
for  the  metropolis,  the  presence  of  your  repre- 


Closing  Scenes.  347 

sentatives  of  the  navy  contributed  so  largely. 
I  but  echo  the  voice  of  the  people  and  the 
press  when  I  assure  you  that  the  naval  batal- 
lion  contributed  the  most  distinguished  and  in 
teresting  organization  in  the  grand  parade." 

It  was  on  Decoration  Day,  1880,  that  Rear- 
Admiral  Trenchard  attended  a  dinner  given 
by  the  Union  League  Club  in  New  York 
City,  and  in  response  to  a  toast,  gave  these 
prophetic  words  :  "  You  produce  the  money, 
and  we  will  produce  the  ships."  This  was  in 
reference  to  the  slander  circulated  at  that  time 
that  the  United  States  was  unable  to  build  a 
modern  warship. 

After  serving  on  a  special  board  in  Wash 
ington,  Admiral  Trenchard  was  retired  July 
10,  1880,  having  seen  twenty-eight  years  of 
sea-service  out  of  a  total  of  forty-five  years' 
honorable  connection  with  the  navy.  In 
1879-80  he  was  the  senior  Vice-Commander 
of  the  New  York  Commandery  of  the  Loyal 
Legion.  He  died  in  New  York  City,  Novem 
ber,  1883. 


NOTES. 

PAGE 

3.  Colonel  Hippesly,  an  English  army  officer,  raised  a 
regiment  of  cavalry  for  service  in  the  cause  of  Vene 
zuelan  independence.  He  wrote  an  interesting 
account  of  his  campaigning.  Young  Hippesly 
served  in  the  Venezuelan  navy,  and  subsequently  as 
lieutenant  in  the  Royal  Navy. 

1 8.  Captain  Trenchard's  commanding  the  station  en 
titled  the  Cyane  to  a  complement  of  musicians. 
Captain  Trenchard  having  held  individual  com 
mands  was  often  called  commodore,  a  rank  then  not 
official  in  the  navy. 

45.  Lieutenant  Trenchard  served  in  the  Mexican  War 
during  the  closing  scenes  at  Vera  Cruz. 

101.  On  the  nth  of  October,  1859,  official  information 
was  received  that  the  Japanese  commissioners 
would  visit  the  United  States.  Immediate  steps 
were  taken  to  prepare  accommodations  for  them, 
and  cabins  were  built  on  the  Powhataris  quarter 
deck.  At  Honolulu,  en  route  to  San  Francisco,  a 
magnificent  reception  was  given  by  the  King  and 
Queen.  The  Ministers,  principal  officers  of  the 
government,  and  a  number  of  foreigners  were 


present.     Our    resident    Minister   entertained 
commissioners  the  next  evening. 
349 


the 


350 


The  Old  Navy. 


no.  The  Rhode  Island  had  extra  hose  supplied  for  the 
novel  purpose  of  repelling  boarders.  Her  com 
mander  stated  he  intended  to  attack  an  enemy  head 
on,  he  having  great  confidence  in  the  iron  plating. 

112.  The  Keystone  State  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Woodhull.  Trenchard,  then  executive  officer,  suc 
ceeded  him  as  commander,  making  three  trips  with 
government  despatches  and  ordnance,  to  and  from 
New  York. 

158.  The  officers  had  gathered  on  deck  in  the  cabin — a 
light  structure.  Trenchard  and  one  or  two  officers 
had  gone  below  to  place  their  valuables  in  tin 
boxes.  A  moment  later  a  huge  wave  washed  over 
the  deck,  destroying  the  cabin  and  sweeping  over 
board  those  who  had  sought  refuge  there.  Three 
days  elapsed  before  the  Constitution  hove  in  sight. 


INDEX. 


Abbot,  General  Henry  L.,  318 
Abdel  Kedar,  the,  328 
Aboukir,  the(R.  N.),  242 
Achen  (Sumatra),  58 
Adams,  President,  3 
Adams,  Master  Israel  G.,  325 
Adams,  the,  3,  4,  345 
Adelaide,  the,  45 
Adger,  the  James,  336 
Adieu,  the,  261 

Africa,  west  coast  of,  7,  8,  10,  n 
Alabama, t\\e,  146,  181,  196,  268 
Alabama,  the  (Confederate), 

225-227,  233,   240,    244,   267, 

289,  368 
Alden,  Commander  James,  126, 

156,  187 
Alert,  the,  15 
Alexis,  Grand  Duke,  346 
Algiers,  6 
Alico  Light,  268 
Alico  shoal,  230 

Allmond,     Commodore's    Secre 
tary,  John, 97 
Alteta,  the,  152 
Alvarado,  the,  122 
Americans,   the,  64,  65,    74,  84, 

89,  90,  92,  95.  98-100, 109,  181, 

338 
Anderson,  Mr.  Wm.,  299  et  seq., 

308,  317 
Andrew,  Captain    Alex.   McK., 

13,  15 


Andrews,  the,  183 

Anna  Elizabeth,  the,  291 

Annapolis,  34 

Annita,  the,  14 

Appalachicola,     123,     124,    128, 

140,  152,  166,  198 
Appleton,  Master's,  Mate  G.  H., 

298,  316 

Ararnanda,  the,  149 
Ariel,  the,  288 
Aristides,  the,  139 
Arnold,  General,  199 
Aroga,  the,  174 
A r oo s took,  the,  174 
Arthur,  the,  168 
Asba,  Don,  58 

Aspinwall,  152,  271,  288,  290 
Atchinson,  Rev.  Dr.,  76,  97 
Augiista,  the,  145,  149,  194,  224 
Aux  Cayes,  243 

Bacon,  Rev.  Samuel,  21 
Bahama  Channel,  225,  230,  231 
Bahamas,  281 
Bailey,  Captain,  140 
Bainbridge,  Captain,  2 
Baldwin,  Commander,    123 
Ball  the,  326 

Baltimore,  Md.,  15,  16,  116,  152 
Baltimore,  the,  174,  325,  326 
Bankhead,   Captain    J.   P.,   212, 

214,  222 
Banshee,  the,  295 


351 


352 


Index. 


Banterer,  the  (R.  N.),  67,  81 

Baracosa,  the,  207 

Barataria,  154 

Baravata,  the  (R.   N.),  254 

Barbary,  9 

Bantatoff,  Admiral,  346 

Barnard,  General,  321 

Barnum,  General  Henry  A.,  346 

Barry,  General,  345 

Bassett,  Captain's-Clerk  New- 
comb  M.,  114 

Bat,  the,  325 

Bayeas,  the,  275 

Beaufort,  149,  216,  217,  220,  294, 
301,  305,  310,  311,  325 

Beaumont,  Captain,  296 

Beck,  Captain's-Clerk  F.  C.  T., 
171,  240 

Belfast,  Me.,  326  et  seq.,  332 

Bell,  Commodore  Chas.  H.,  290 

Bell  Peck,  the,  163 

Belle,  the,  273 

Berrien,  Captain,  253 

Bienville,  the,  164 

Bingham,  Surgeon  [E.  P.,  296, 
316 

Black,  Engineer  Chas.  C.,  292 

Blake,  Captain,  123 

Blanco,  the,  239,  242,  279 

Blunt,  Geo.  W.,  Pilot  Commis 
sioner,  343 

Boston,  46,  122,  136,  161,  194, 
204,  207,  209,  211,  268,  276 

Boston  Light,  283 

Boyle,  Lieutenant  Junius,  28 

Bradbury,  Master's-Mate  Ed 
ward  E.,  313 

Braine,  Commander,  216 

Breeze,  Captain,  134 

Breeze,  R.- Admiral  Samuel,  264 

Brett,  Major,  53,  54 

Bridge,  Paymaster  H.,  in,  163 

Brooklyn,  the,  125,  294 

Brown,  Master's-Mate  Daniel 
Rodney,  171,  215,  217,  219, 

22O,   222,  24O 

Bryant,  Lieutenant,  143 
Bryson,  Commander  Andrew,  259 


Buchanan,     Captain    (Confeder 
ate),  296 
Buena  Vista,  22 
Bull  Run,  battle  of,  158 
Bull's  Bay,  163 
Butler,  General,  186 
Buzzard,  the,  325 

Caches,  Jean,  40 
Cahanta,  the,  214 
Calcutta,  53 

Cambridge,  the,  132,   138 
Camden,  Me.,  289 
Canonicus,  the,  300,  301 
Canton,  60,  64,  78 
Cape  Ann,  45 

—  Canaveral,  195,  325 

—  de  Verde,  21 

—  Fear,  117,  302,324 

—  Fran9ois,  251 

—  Hatteras  Light,  146,  214 

—  Haytien,  244,  246,   250,  257, 
266,  268,  270  et  seq.,  278,  336 
et  seq. 

—  Henry,  132,  138,  210 

—  Hood,  283 

—  Lookout,  290,  324 

—  Maji,  289 

—  May,  293 

—  Mount,  22 

—  of  Good  Hope,  51 

—  Town,  51,  52,  122 
Cardenas,  225 
Carley,  Captain,  222 
Carrysford  Reef  Light,  133,  144, 

152,  165,  193,  197,  334 
Casey,  Major  Thos.  Lincoln,  299, 

302 
Cassel,    Master's-Mate    Douglas 

R.,  124 

Cause,  Master's-Mate  A.  B.,  114 
Cayuga,  the,  185 
Cedar  Keys,  205,  206 
Challenger,  the  (R.  N.),  242 
Champion,  the,  270,  271,  281 
Chandler,         Surgeon's-Steward 

William.  240 
Chandler's  Island,  125 


Index. 


353 


Chang,  Colonel,  98 
Charleston,    15,    117,    118,    129, 
149,  162,   163,    176,  223,   224, 

329,  333,  340 
Chase,  Bishop,  25 
Chesapeake  Bay,  320 
Chichora,  the,  216 
China,  48,  65,  66,  88,  94,  98,  100 
Chinese,   60,   62,  64,  66   et   seq., 

78,  79,  82,  89,  96,  99 
Chippewa,  the,  25 
Christophe,  Emperor,  246 
Christophe's  Castle,  245,  246 
Churchill,  Acting-Master  Henry, 

ii4,  123 
Cienfuegos,  186 
Ciromandel,  Hospital  Ship,  79 
Citizen,  the,  152 
Clarendon,  Lord,  46 
Clark,  Lieutenant,  153 
Clitz,  Lieutenant  J.  M.,  252 
Cochin  China,  59 
Cognomen,  the,  136 
Colby,  the,  217,  220,   221 
Concertina,  the,  266 
Concord,  the,  32 
Congo  River,  22 
Congress,  the,  179 
Connecticut,   the,   106,   129,   137, 

184,  197,  213 
Constantine,    the    Grand   Duke, 

346 

Constellation,  the,  4 
Constitution,  the,  5,  32,  157 
Contest,  the  (R.  N.),  8 
Cooper,  Mr.,  28 
Cooper,  Lieutenant,  147 
Cooper,  James  Fenimore,  6 
Cormorant,  the,  (R.  N.),  67 
Corsica,  the,  254 
Costa  Rico,  188  et  seq,,  337 
Craney  Island,  178,  179 
Crawford,  John,  170 
Creighton,  Colonel,  143 
Crocker,    Acting-Master  C.    A., 

240 

Cronstadt,  the,  276,  277 
Crosby,  Lieutenant,  199 


Grossman,  Lieutenant,  166 
Crowningshield,    Ensign    A.  C., 

278 

Crusader,  the,  124 
Cuba,  16 

Cumberland  Harbor,  Cuba,  235 
Cumberland,  the,   112,  113,  129, 

179 
Cuyler,  the,  124,   153,   156,   295, 

296,  325 
Cyane,    the,    8,    10    et    seq.,    17 

et  seq. 
Cygnet,  the,  232 

Dahlgren,  R.,  Admiral,  333. 

Da  homy,  the,  230 

Dakota,  the,  174 

Dale,  the,  130 

Dandy,  the,  267 

Darling,       Paymaster      William 

Lee,  292,  316 
Dasher,  the,  14 
Davenport,  Captain,  290 
Davidson,  Master's-Mate  E.  R., 

114 

Davis,  the,  126 
Davis,  Acting-Master,  153 
Davis,  Capt.  Chas.  H.,  145 
Davis,  y.  L.,  the,  198 
Deal,   Paymaster's-Clerk    Frank 

H.,  171,  174,  240 
Decatur,  Capt.  Stephen,  2,  4,  5, 

26 

Decatur,  Capt.  Stephen,  Jr.,  4 
Dechosa,  the,  14,  1 6 
De  Soto,  the,  154,  156,  201 
Diamond  Shoals,  217,  220 
Diana,  the,  156 
Dictator,  the,  326 
Dimmick,  Col.  Justine,  192 
Dixie,  the,  116 
Dobson,  Mr.,  277 
Dog  Island,  166 
Dorsetshire,  Eng.,  I,  2 
Doty,  Captain,  153 
Doty,  Lieut.  G.  W.,  143 
Douglas,       Paymaster     Richard 

Hall,   114,  171,  200,  239 


354 


Index. 


Downes,  Capt.  John,  28,  58 
Drayton,  Capt.  Percival,  221 
Dunlop,     Commodore   (R.    N.), 

243 
Dunn,     Paymaster    Elisha    W., 

123 
Du  Pont,  Captain,  65,  66,   113  ; 

Flag-Officer,      145,    157,    161, 

197,   205,   223  et  seq. 
Button,    Mr.,    English    Consul, 

337 

Eagle,  the,  109 

Eckford,  Henry,  5,  6 

Edgar,  Mr.,   278 

Egg  Harbor,  325 

Elder,  Mr.,  no 

Eldridge,   Paymaster  L.  W.,  201 

Elgin,  Lord,  64 

Elizabeth  River,  172,  320 

Elizabeth,  the,  138 

Ella,  the,  229 

Elliot,  Commodore,  61 

Ellison,  Capt.  Francis  B.,  124 

Ellmore,     Master's-Mate    Chas. 

F.,  240 

Eleuthera,  261-263 
Endymion,  the,  13  et  seq. 
England,  88,  89,  93 
English,  the,  64,  et  seq.,  70,  87- 

89  etseq.,    151,  338 
Ericson,  the,  174 
Errand,  the,  321 
Esperanza,  the,  14,  15 
Essex,  the,  346 
Ethan  Allen,  the,  152 
Etting,  Captain's-Clerk   Ruben, 

152 
Eytinge,  Captain,  257,  258 

Fair  field,  the,  43,  44 
Fall  River,  170 
Farley,  Lieutenant,  147 
Farquhar,    Lieut.    Norman    L., 

259,  264,  277 
Farragut,  Admiral,  27,  39,   167, 

185,  187,  189,  203 
Fearnaught,  the,  139 


Fei,  Prefect,  98 
Fernandina,  121,  144,  182,  208 
Field,  Ensign  Samuel  H.,  171 
Fisher,  Master's-Mate  John   P., 

315 

Flash,  the,  196 
Florida,  33,  184 

Florida,  the,   149,  163,    182,  265 
Florida,    the   (Confederate),  225 

et  seq.,  231,  232 
Flynn,  Engr.  R.  N.,  271 
Foreman,  Surg.  Samuel  R.,   114 
Forrester,  the  (R.  N.),  67 
Fortune  Island,  225 
Fort    Fisher,    293,    298  et  seq.  ; 

engagements  at,  106,  et  seq. 
Fort  Henry,  the,  198 
Fort  Jackson,  186,  189,  191 
Fort  Jackson,  the,  300,  314,  321 
Fort  Jefferson,  198 

—  Monroe,   173,   180,   194,  211, 

320,  332,  326 

—  Morgan,  295 

—  St.  Philip,  186,  189,  191 

—  Sumter,  158,  333 

—  Warren,  190,   192,  194 
Fox,  Gilbert,  2,  4 

Fox,   Asst.-Secy.    of   the    Navy, 

Gustavus  V.,  320 
Fox,  Surg.  John  L.,  97,  294 
Foy,    Signal   Qr.-Master,    Chas. 

H.,  31? 

Frame,  the  Henry,  199 
France,  60,  94 
French,     Engr.    Anthony,    171, 

268 

French,  General,  143,  145 
French,  Major,  134 
French,  the,   64-68,   70-75,  92- 

96 
Funchal  (Madeira)  41, 

Galante  Maria  (Island),  279 
Galatea,   the,    293,   335  et  seq.  ; 

340 

Gallatin,  the,  45 
Gallinos  River,  IT,  14 
Galveston,  126,  200,  202,  225 


Index. 


355 


Gambler,  Ohio,   25 

Gardner,   Master 's-Mate  Henry, 

315 

Garfield,  Captain,  295 
Gatthreust,  the,  15 
Gem,  the,  149 
Gem  of  the  Sea,  the,  196 
Gemsbock,  the,  138 
George  Peabody,  the,  129 
Georgetown,  196 
Georgia,  the,  163 
Georgia,  State  of,  the,  213,  214, 

325 

Gettysburg,  battle  of,  291 
Gibraltar,  5,  9,  127 
Gilman,  Paymaster,  153,  156 
Gislin,  Mr.,  269 
Godfrey,  the,  181 
Godon,     Capt.     Sylvanus    Wm., 

204,  223,  224 
Goldsborough, Flag-Officer  Louis 

M.,  172,  178,  179 
Governor,  the,  145 
Grand  Gulf,  the,  291 
Grant,  General,  320,  321 
Grattan,  Sir  Edward,  46 
Great  Britain,  9 
Great  Isaac  Light,  266 
Great  Stump  Key,  205 
Green,  Commander  Chas.,   121, 

270 

Greenland,  the,  151 
Greenock,  170 
Griswold,  Luke,  215 
Guard,  the,  152,  167,  170,  197 

Habersham,  Lieut.  A.  \V.,  97 

Halifax,  197 

Hamilton,  Henry,  317 

Hammond,  Paymaster  Chas.  E., 
167 

Hampton  Harbor,  175,  176 

Hampton  Roads,  131,  137,  148, 
163,  172,  173,  179,  181,  192, 
195,  196,  203,  204,  211,  212, 

2l6,    222,    224-226,    293,     294, 

298,  319.  322,  324,  334 
Hang  Fu,  Governor,  96 


Harbor  Island,  267 
Harriet  Lane,  the,  129,  187 
Harriman,  Mr.  H.  D.,  217,   220 

el  seq. 

Harris,  Ensign  Ira,  278 
Hart,  Coxswain,  84 
Hart,  Lieut.  John  E.,  156 
Hartford,    the,     167,    187,     344 

et  seq. 

Hastings,  Constant,  14 
Hathaway,  the,  268 
Hatter  as,  the  144,  152,  220 
Hatteras    Inlet,     10,     129,    143, 

163,  215,  228,  322 
Haughty,  the  (R.  N.),  66 
Havana,    151,     152,     225,     230, 

231,  251,  252,  289 
Hayti,  the  President  of,  243 
Heiskill,  Paymaster,  294 
Helena,  the,  201 
Hell  Gate,  288 
Henage,    Capt.     Algernon     (R. 

N.),  336  etseq. 
Henderson,      Engineer     Frank, 

292 

Hennessy,  Paymaster,  166 
Highflyer,  the  (R.   N.),   28,  89, 

90  et  seq. 

Hilton  Head,  145,  157,  163 
Hippesly,  Gustavus,  Col.,  3 
Hodges,  Mr.,  19 
Hoffman,  Captain,  275 
Holmes's  Hole,  286,  287 
Hong-Kong,  58,  65,  91,  92 
Hope,   Admiral,    66,    73  et  seq., 

78,  79,  Si,  82,  92 
Hope,  the,  182 
Hornet,  the,  22,  23 
Horton,  Lewis  A.,  215,   279    ei 

seq. 

Hosack,  Midshipman,  14 
Hudson,    Sailing-M aster    Wm., 

10,  14 
Hughes,  Engineer  John  A.,  292, 

298 

Hull,  Captain,  2 
Hunter,  Lieut.  Chas.,  156 
Huntsville,  the,  126,  158 


356 


Index. 


Illinois,  the,  174 

Ino,  the,  127 

Iroquois,  the,  151 

Irving,    Paymaster  Washington, 

202 
Irwin,   Acting-Gunner  John  W., 

240 
Isabel,  the,  138 

Jackson,  Wm.  E.,  158 

Jamaica,  200,  254 

Jamestown,    the     (Confederate), 

176 

Jamestown,  the,  4,  121,  122 
Jane  Savage,  the,  181 
Janus,  the  (R.  N.),  167 
Japan,  66 
Jefferson,  Mr.,  277 
Jenkins,     Capt.     Thornton    A., 

204 

Jeivett,  the  John,  197 
John  Adams,  the,  6,  22 
Johnson,  the,  170 
Jones,  Mate,  277 
Jones,  John,  215 
Jouett,  Lieut.  James  E.,  156 
Judah,  the,  132 
Julia,  the,  151 
Juniata,  the,  252,  272,  278,  294 

Kanza,  de,  Commander  (R.  N.), 

232 

Katahdin,  the,  187,  188 
Kearsarge,  the,  127,  311 
Keller,  Asst.-Engineer  Geo.  W., 

240 
Kellogg,    Ensign   Augustus    G., 

278 

Kenon,  Beverly,  189,  191,  192 
Kestrel,  the  (R.  N.),  67 
Key,  Captain,  61 
Keystone    State,    the,     112,    113, 

265 
Key  West,   105,   123,    129,   139, 

152,   159,  163,  165,   184,  197, 

199,  202,  205,  207,  251,  266 
King,  Acting-Master,  266 
King,  Dr.,  158 


Kingfisher,  the,  153,  184,  185 
Kingston,  engagement  off,  6 
Kingston,  St.  Vincent,  151 
Knapp,     Shepard,     the,      257    et 

seq.,   266,  268 
Knox,  Lieut.  Samuel  R.,  156 

Lamb,  Colonel,  315,  317 

Lancaster,  the,  342 

Lanfare,    Ensign     Robert,    291, 

313,  338,  340 
Lapwing,  the,  265 
Lardner,   Flag-Officer  James  L., 

105,  197,  272,  278,  279,  281 
Lavis,  Engineer  Greenville,  171, 

240 
Lavis,  Engineer  Joseph  C.,  171, 

240,  277 

Lawrence,  Captain,  2 
Lee,  Gen.  Robert  E.,  331 
Lee,  the(R.  N.),  66 
Lee,  Mandarin,  98 
Lee,  Commander  Samuel  Philips, 

118,  202 

Leeke,  Captain  (R.  N.),  22 
Lemon,  Colonel  (R.  M.),  67,  78, 

84 

Levant,  the,  33 
Libby  Prison,  280 
Lily,  the  (R.  N.),  336,  338 
Lincoln,     President,     256,     273, 

295,  331 

Lincoln,  the  Kate,  144 

Little  Addie,  the,  282,  285,  287 

Liverpool,  137,  138 

Logan,  Hugh,  215 

London,  138,  274 

Louise,  the,  14 

Louisiana,  the,  190  ;  powder 
boat,  301  et  seq. 

Luscomb,  Master-at-Arms  Rich 
ard,  235 

Macdonough,  Captain,  2 
Macedonian,  the,  124 
Mackinaw,  the,  296 
Maclay,  Ensign  W.  W.,  278 
Madigan,  Captain,  199 


Index. 


357 


Magua,  Great,  257,  269 

Mahopac,  the,  300 

Mallacca,  58 

Mallebran,  E.,  16 

Malvern,  the,  293,  300,  301,  307, 

319,  322 

Man  ass  as,  the,  138 
Maraguana  Island,    268    et  seq., 

289,  335,  337 
Maratanza,  the,  174,  216 
Margaret  and  Jessie,  the,   263  et 

seq. 
Marion,  the,  136,  139,  143,  152, 

153,  166 

Marsh,  Isaac  C.,  171 
Marshall,  Asst. -Engineer  James 

L.,  240 

Martin,  Rev.  Dr.,  76 
Marvin,  Judge,  151 
Massachusetts,     the,     125,     126, 

153 

Massasoit,  the,  282,  285,  288 
Matamoras,  201 
Matanzas,  152,  170,  197,  325 
McBride,  Mr.,  no 
McCarthy,  Governor,  31 
Me  del  Ian,  the,  251 
McCoy,  Engineer  Wm.    H.,  292 
McCutchen,         Chief  -  Engineer 

John   F.,    114,    171,   200,  240, 

192,  316 

Mclntosh,  Lieutenant,  32  ;  Cap 
tain,  158 

McKean,  Flag-Officer,  135 
McKenna,  Captain,  82 
McNeil,  they.   G.,  167 
Mediterranean,  the,  4,  8,  9,   32, 

39  et  seq.,  45 
Menck,    Asst.    Engineer    Isaac, 

24 

Mentar,  David  D.,  203 
Mercediia,   the,    137,    181,    193, 

197,  220,  270 
Merrimac,  the,  325 
Merrimac,      the     (Confederate), 

172  et  seq.,    177  et  seq. 
Mervine,     Lieut.     William,     13, 

14;  Flag-Officer,  105,  130,  135 


Mexican  War,  10 

Mexico,  Gulf  of,  10,  130,  135 

Miami,  the,  197 

Midnight,  the,  155,  168 

Millen,  Admiral  (R.  N.),  243 

Miller,  Midshipman,  156 

Minnesota,     the,    65,     130,    174, 

176-179,  294,  320 
Mississippi,    the,    65,    124,    153, 

1 86 
Mississippi  River,  124,  137,  153, 

185 
Mitchell,     Commodore     J.     K., 

189,  igr,  192 
Mobile,  329,  333,  334 
Mobile,  the,   140,  153,  199,  2O2, 

225 

Mobile  Bay,  294 
Mohican,  the,  163 
Mole,  St.  Nicholas,  233,  244 
Mona  Passage,  233 
Monadnock,    the,     282     et    seq., 

300 
Mont  auk,    the,    124,    166,     21 2, 

213 

Montgomery,  the,  124,  140,  156 
Montgomery,    Lieut.    John    D., 

10,  13,  14 

Monticello,  the,  138,  216 
j    Monticello,    the   (merchant    ves 
sel),  289 

[    More,  George,  215 
Morning  Star,  the,   325 
Morris,  Master's-Mate  Jacob,  14 
Morrison,  Mr.,  45,  46 
Mosquito  Inlet,  182,  197 
Mountain  Ea^le,  the,  144 
Mount  Vernon,  the,  149,  296 
Mum  ford,  14,  1 6 
I    Munro,  Thomas,  14 
J    Myer,    Acting-Master    T.      N., 

114,  171 
Myrmadon,  the  (R.  N.),  22 

Naime,  Mr.,  268-277 
Narragansett,  the,  170 
Nassau,    207,    225,    229,   252     et 
seq.,  274 


358 


Index. 


National  Gziard,    the,   184,  253, 

257,  260,  270,  277 
Naval  Academy,  34,  35 
Naval  Hospital,  Boston,  277 

New  York,  147 

Pensacola,  296 

Philadelphia,  34 

Pilot  Town,  La.,  185,  189 

Port  Royal,  261 

Navassa,  269,   271,  337 

Navy  Department,   22,   32,    131, 

158,  174,  224,  225 
Navy,  Secretary  of  the,  2,  3,  29 

el  seq.,  102,  104,  137,340 
Navy,  United  States,  3,  4,  125 
Navy   Yard,    Boston,    165,    208, 

264,  282 
Navy    Yard,    Brooklyn,    5,    no, 

^3°,   !37>  T47i   !48,  288,   297, 

341 
Navy  Yard,  Pensacola,  156 

Philadelphia,  160,  161, 

Nevis,  279 

New  Berne,  305,  325 

Newcastle,  159 

New  Inlet,  302,   306,  309,   310, 

324 

New  Ironsides •,  the,  306,  312 

New  London,  the,  153 

New    Orleans,    124,     127,     151, 

185    et   seq.,      197,     199,    202, 

208,  230,  266,  329 
Newport  News,  Va.,  176,  179 
Newton,  Midshipman  M.  C.,  13, 

14 

New  York,  5,  16,  33,  41,  no, 
116,  129,  136,  146,  148,  et  seq,, 
160,  196,  197,  229,  230,  243, 
261,  266,  267,  271,  273,  275, 
287,  326,  340,  343,  347 

Niagara,  the,  127,  135,  140  et 
seq.,  153 

Nicholson,  Captain,  65,  336 

Nicholson,  Capt.  Wm.  C.,  118 

Nidam,  the,  156 

Nightingale,  the,  167 

Nile,  the  (R.  N.),  243 

Nimrod,  the  (R.  N.),  66 


Norfolk,  48,  112,  173,  180,  193 
Northern  Light,  the,  271 
Nosogary,  the,  79 


O'Brien,    Richard,      the,     200, 

201 

Ocean  Queen,  the,  269,  272,  291, 
Ockaroke  Inlet,  116 
Octorara,  the,  174,  205,  252 
O'Hare,  Master's-M ate  John,  114 
Old  Point,  173,  176 
One j da,  the,  147 
O'Neil,  Lieut.  Chas.,  291,  315 
Ontario,  Lake,  5,  6 
Onward,  the,  164,  165 
Opossum,    the    (R.    N.),  31,  32, 

66 

Or  do,  the  (Florida),  174,  263 
Oriental,  the,  243 
Oriole,  the,  174 

Pacific,  the,  230 
Pamlico  Sound,  116 
Pampiro,  the,  153 
Pangborn,  Henry  H.,  123 
Parkes,  Sir  Harry,  61,  62 
Passaic,  the,  212-214,  222 
Pass  a  1'Outre,  125,  135 
Patterson,  Commander,  335,  336 
Pattison,  Engineer  W.  I,  292 
Paulding,    Commodore   H.,    33, 

107,  113  ;  R. -Admiral,  392 
Pawnee,  the,  129,  148,  182 
Pearson,  Capt.  Geo.  F.,  48 
Pechili,  Governor  of,  72 
Pechili,  Gulf  of,  64,  66,  67 
Peiho,  forts,  66,  95,96 
Peiho  Forts,  battle  of  the,  78 
Peiho    River,  64,    65,     67,     71- 

73,  76,  91,  96,  100 
Pein,  Prefect,  98 
Pei-Tang,  96,  98 
Pekin,  64,  77,  79,  96,  100 
Pendegrast,   Flag-Officer   G.   J., 

118,  119 
Penguin,  the,  183 


Index. 


359 


Pennell,  Lieutenant  J.  A.,  108, 
114,  183,  200-203 

Pennsylvania^  the,  48 

Pensacola,  33,  124,  128,  134, 
135,  147,  153,  156,  158,  166, 
193,  199,  208,  333 

Pensacola,  the,  187 

Perry,  Matthew  Calbraith,  10- 
Lieut.,  14 

Perry,  Oliver  Hazard,  Com 
modore,  2 

Phantom,  the,  148,  149 

Phelps,  Thos.  Stowell,  Rear- 
Admiral,  172 

Philadelphia,  34,  35,  37,  39,  112, 
126,  151,  158,  172,  275,  278, 
326,  338,  340 

Philadelphia,  the,  211 

Pickens,  Fort,  156 

Plattsburg,  the,  14,  16 

Plover,  the  (R.  N.),  67,  75,  76, 
Si,  82 

Pocahontas,  the,  148 

Point  Lookout,  301 

Polk,  Captain,  135 

Pope,  Lemuel,  Acting-Master's 
Mate,  171,  312 

Port  au  Platte,  151 

Port  au  Prince,  244,  336 

Port    Louis,    Mauritius,   52,    53, 

57 

Port  Mahon,  39,  40,  41 
Port  Pray  a,  18 
Port  Royal,    145,    146,  149-151, 

157,    163,   193,    195-197,    203, 

2O4,   2O8,   212,   222 

Porter,  Admiral,  291,  293,  294, 
299,  3°°  *t  s£(J-i  3*9,  32O> 
322,  334 

Porter,  Lieut.  Essex,  224 

Portland,  Me.,  266 

Porto  Bello,  284 

Porto  Rico,  16,  278,  279 

Portsmouth,  Eng. ,  53 

Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  32 

Portsmouth,  the,  185 

Pratt,  Acting-Master  Nicholas, 
313,  324 


Potomac,  the,  58,  132,  146,  153, 

199 

Potomaska,  the,  205 
Powell,  Levin  M.,   Capt. ,  199 
Powers,  Engineer  James  F.,  292 
Poivhatan,   the,  47,   49,    50,  52, 

57-60,    65,  66,  74,   87,  88,  91 

-94,    96,    97,   101,    127,    281, 

294,  322,  345 
Preble,    Capt.     George     Henry, 

189 
Preble,  the,  38,  39,  43,  124,  128, 

153 
President,  the,  90 

Quaker  City,  the,  130,  197 
Qualla,  Battoo,  53 
Queen,  the,  325 

Racer,  the,  150 

Radell,  Engineer  Chas.  W.,  292 

Raleigh,  the  (Confederate),  176 

Ransom,  Captain,  270 

Rason,  Lieut.  Commander,  82 

Ratcliffe,  Mr.,  16 

Reed,  Captain,  22 

Restless,  the,  163,  265,  266 

Rhincl,  Commander  A.  C.,  304 

Rhode  Island,  the,  26,  105  et  seq., 
123,  124,  126,  128  et  seq., 
146  et  seq.,  160,  161,  163,  et 
seq.,  174,  181  183  et  seq., 
188  et  seq.,  211,  212,  215,  217, 
218,  221  et  seq  ,  251  et  seq., 
270,  et  seq.,  285  et  seq.,  304, 
306,  308,  310,  311,  313,  317, 
321  et  seq. 

Richmond,  Master's-Mate  J., 
114, 185 

Richmond,  the,  134,  135,  146, 
152,187 

Ridgley,  Capt.  Daniel  Boone, 
230,  233,  235,  237,  238,  242, 

243 

Roanoke,  the,  118,  119,  129,   138 
Rodgers,   Capt.    C.    R.   P.,   145, 

197 


360 


Index. 


Rodgers,  Commodore  John,  320, 
321 

Roebuck,  the,  149 

Rogers,  Captain's-Clerk  Lang- 
don  S.,  316 

Rogers,  Master's-Mate,  277 

Rollins,  General,  320 

Ronckendorff,  Commander  Wil 
liam,  124 

Rosina  Clavpole,  the,  48 

Ross,  Consul,  243 

Rugg,   Engineer  Chas.  M.,  292 

Russell,  Lieut.  John  H.,  134 

Russians,  the,  69,  78,  83,  87,  92, 
342 

Rutter,  Asst. -Engineer  Geo.  H., 
114,  171,  240 

Sabine,  the,  138,  149 

Sabine  Pass,  169 

Sablon,  Louis,  14 

Sacketts  Harbor,  6 

Sagamore,  the,  166,  197 

Salem,  N.  J.,2 

Salt  Key,  253 

Samuel  Rotan,  the,  198 

Sanderson,  Midshipman,   14 

Sand  Key  Light,  136 

San  Domingo,  289,  290 

Sands,  Captain,  218 

Sands,  Hon.  Joshua,  25 

Sands,   Joshua  R.,   R. -Admiral, 

25 

Sands,  the  Sarah,  52 
Sandy  Hook,  293 
Sanford,      Asst. -Surgeon      John 

W.,  97 

San  Jacinto,  the,  59,  174,  197 
San  Salvador,  255 
Santa  Rosa  Island,  140 
Sanlee,  the,  128,  151,  155 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  233,  241 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  the,  184,   231, 

233,    235    et    seq.,    244,    251, 

254,  255,     257   et    seq.,    278, 

298,  300,  310 
Sargent,  Mr.,  269 
Saugus,  the,  314,  320 


Saunders,  Lieut.  N.  W.,  322 
Savage,  the  Jane,   181 
Savannah, 129 
Savannah,    the,    116,    117,    138, 

145 

Saxon,  the,  165 
Schenck,  Commodore,  322 
Schufeldt,  Hon.  Robert  W.,  139, 

231 

Science,  the,  14,  16 
Sciota,  the,  167 
Scott,    Commander  G.   H.,  113, 

216 

Sebastopol,  67 
Seminole,  the,  118,  174 
Semmes,     Lieut.      Commander, 

181 
Semmes,    Capt.    Raphael,     127, 

182 

Seneca,  the,  335 
Senegal  River,  21 
Sewell's  Point,  180,  181 
Seymoboe  River,  i>5 
Shanghai,  77 

Shaw,  Commander  T.  Dana,  156 
Shawmui,  the,  345 
Shelro,  21 

Ship  Island, "153  etseq.,  167,169 
Shock,  Chief  Engineer  Wm.  H., 

97 

Sierra  Leone,  22 
Singapore,  59 
Smith,  Commander,  125 
Smith,  Lieut.  Frederick  R.,  312, 

314,  315 

Smith,  Coxswain  Chas.  H.,  215 

Smith,  Surgeon,  189 

Smyth,  Ensign,  298 

Snapper,  the  (R.  N.),  23 

Sombrero  Light,  134 

Somers,  Midshipman,  5 

Somona,  the,  252 

South  Carolina,  the,  126,  152 

Spencer,  Captain,  290 

Sprague,  the  Seth,  266 

Sprague's    Rhode    Island  Artil 
lery,  158 

Spray,  the,  325 


Index. 


161 


Squadron,    Atlantic,    162,    195, 

212 

—  Gulf,  10,  127,  128,  162,  195 

—  West  Gulf,  333,  334 
St.  Andrews,  198 

—  Augustine,  182 

—  Bias,  116 

—  Helena,  44,  50 
St.  Louis,  the,  125 
St.  Marks,  334 

—  Mary,  16,  123,  139,  152,   166, 
184,  291 

—  Mary's  River,  121,  122 

—  Simon's,  144,  341 

—  Thomas,  230,  278,  279 

—  Vincent,  Grand  Port,  28 
Stadt  Enchede,  the,  50 
Star,  the,  187,  188 

Stars  and  Stripes,  the,  200 
Steady,  the  (R.  N.),  144,  242 
Steedman,  Captain,  157,  164 
Stevens,  Com.  Thomas  Holdup, 

230,  232 
Stevens,  Master's-Mate  Wm.   H. 

H.,  171 

Stewart,  Captain  Chas.,  9 
Stone  Inlet,  196 
Strike,  William  P.,  15 
Stringham,    Lieutenant,  13,   14  ; 

Flag-Officer,  120,  129 
Siromboli,  the,  230 
Strong,  Com.  James  H.,  124 
Stuart,  the  Mary,  196 
Stimter,   the  127,  159 
Susquehanna,   the,  146,  251 
Svetlana,  the,  346 
Swift,  Mr.   Robert,  278 

Table  Bay,   52 

Tacoma,  the,  166,  334 

Tallahassee,  334 

Taku,  forts,  72 

Tanner,  Lieut.  Zera  L.,  291, 
298,  312,  314,  318 

Tasmania,  the,  278 

Tattnall,  Captain  Josiah,  59,  60, 
66,  74,  76,  83-87  ;  Commo 
dore,  173,  176,  179 


Tattnall,  Lieutenant  John,  143 

Taylor,  Captain  A.  S.,  97 

Taylor,  Ensign,  Albert  171,  239 

Taylor,  John,  341 

Ten  Ung-Hau,  98 

Terry,  Gen.  Alfred,  318 

Thatcher,  R. -Admiral,   298,  334 

Thompson,  Commander,  118 

Thornton,  Commander,  322 

Ticondt'roga,  the,  272,  277,  278, 
394 

Tientsin,  64 

Tiers,  the   W.  H.,  275 

Tioga,  the,  251,  266 

Toev-lVan,  the,  74  et  seq.,  83- 
84,  86,  87,  92,  95 

Totten,  Colonel,  290 
I    Townsend,  Captain,  221 
'    Trenchard,  Capt.  Edward,  i,  10, 
23,  45  ;  Master  Commandant, 
6  ;  Captain,  11-14,  17,    19-24 

Trenchard,  George,  2 
j    Trenchard,  James,  2 

Trenchard,  Midshipman  Ste 
phen  Decatur,  8,  25  et  seq., 
38,  39,  41,  43,  44  ;  Lieutenant, 
45,  46,  48  et  seq.,  53,  58, 
60,  61,  76,  77,  84  et  seq.,  97, 
105,  107,  112-114,  116-118, 
122  et  seq.,  131  et  seq.,  161 
et  seq.  ;  167,  169,  iSo,  182,  164, 
189,  193  et  seq.,  2OO  et  seq., 
Commander,  208  et  seq.,  212, 
216,  222,  223,  227  et  seq.,  234 
et  seq.,  244  et  stq.,  251  et  seq., 
260  et  seq.,  271  et  seq.,  283, 
287,  291  et  seq.,  302,  306,  308 
et  seq.,  318,  322  et  seq.,  334 
et.  seq.  ;  Commodore,  342  ;  Ad 
miral,  344 

Trinidad,  202 

Trinity  shoal,  202 

Tripoli,  4,  5,  6 

Truxton,  Commander,  10,  216 
Tully  Robinson,  the,  187 

Tunis,  6 

Turner,  Midshipman,  5 
Tuscarcra,  the,  127,  294 


362 


Index. 


Twing,  Captain,  320 

United  States,  the,  6,  8,  9,  15,  16, 

21,   22,   42,   65,   86,    102,    115 

United  States,  the,  President  of, 

77,  101 
Ut-Wa  College,  61 

Vandalia,  the,  205 

Vanderbilt,  the,  174  et  seq.,  233, 

238 
Van  Horenberg,   Asst. -Engineer 

John,  240 
Vera  Cruz,  273 
Vermont,  the,  204 
Vicksburg,  271,  326 
Victoria,  Queen,  45 
Vincennes,    the,    128,    135,    153, 

}  99 

Vixen,  the,  45,  46 
Vixen,    the    (Confederate),   297, 

298 
Voorhees,  Lieutenant,  13,  20 

Wabash,  the,  116,  117,  145,  150, 

197,  204,  294 
Wachusett,  the,  174 
Wadsworth,  Captain,   22 
Wagg,  Morris,  215 
Wainwright,    Acting-Master    J. 

M.,  108 

Walker,  R.  R.,  170 
Wallace,    Acting- Master's-Mate 

R.  W.,  298,  315 
Walton,  Mr.,  297,  298 
Wamsutta,  the,  181 
Wanderer,    the,    126,    152,    177, 

205 

Ward,  John  E.,  66,  74-76,  96 
Warrington,  193 
W7arsa\v  Sound,  181 
Washington,  113,  345,  346 


Washington,  the,  158 

Water  Witch,  the,  124,  128,  135, 

153 

Watlings  Island,  267,  277 
Watson,    Master's-Mate  Eugene 

W.,  114,  171,  276 
WTebb,  James  R.,  114 
Webb,      Surgeon     Samuel     G. , 

171,  239 

Weehawken,  the,  224 
Welles,   Hon.   Gideon,   111-113, 
115,  191,    192,    195,  196,   216, 
225,  264,  326,  332 
Welles,  John,  Pilot,  185 
Westfield,  the,  187 
Whitestone,  288 
Wilcox,      Acting-Master's-Mate 

Calvin  S.,  240 
Wilkes,  R. -Admiral  Chas.,    225, 

233,  238,  297 

Wilkinson,   Captain    (Confeder 
ate),  189,  190 

Willes,  Captain  (R.  N.),  79,  268 
Williams,  Rev.  Dr.,  76,  97 
Williams,     Acting- Master    Wil 
liam,  114,  171,  194,  276 
Wilmington,  216,  265,  276,  301, 

302,  324 

Wilson,  Colonel  William,  143 
Windward  Passage,  269 
Winslow,  Commander,  310 
Wissahickon,  the,  183,  185 
Wood,  Chaplain  Henry,  97 
Wyandotte,  the,  128,  197 
Wyman,    Com.    Robert    Davis, 
255,  259,  266 

Yankee,  the,  113 
Yard,  Com.  Edward  M.,  130 
Yeh,  Viceroy,  60,  61,  63 

Young  Rover,  the,  138,  198 


YC  50185 


20487 


